Angels Hope
by SciFiColleen
Summary: One woman's vision started with a Prodigy and ended with a Mirage. For her it was always about her Angels Hope. CHAPTER'S 40 thru 99 NOW UP PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW
1. A New Genisis

Disclaimer: The Characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots and The Center are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and are used without permission. Blah, blah, blah, yea, yea just get on with it. No money has been involved here and no infringement is intended.  
It was late in the morning hours. The room was dark except for a computer monitor glow that illuminated a small area of the desk that it sat upon. A woman with long brown curly hair sat there looking at the screen intensely. It had been a long day, her 43rd birthday. What a festive day it had been. A party with all the trimmings. Cake, balloons, and more food than anyone could imagine. Everyone at the commune had a good time, but she had other things in the back of her mind. She had been cordial and enjoyed the festivities, but all she wanted was nothing more than to get back to her computer. She thought back to earlier that day when her friend, mentor and mother figure, Joan Stedman, had scolded her.  
  
"Lily, hello. Are you among us?" asked Joan annoyed.  
  
She had been looking at the crowd, but her mind was elsewhere. She smiled a smile that could have lit a hundred cities. "Yes, Joan. Stop worrying about me."  
  
"This is supposed to be your birthday celebration. All I see is your body here, but your mind is a million miles away. I can just guess what you are concentrating so strongly on. I've known you for thirty-nine years and you can't fool me. So don't even try to make some sad excuse."  
  
"I received some information early this morning about the Centre. I want to go and study it." Lily replied.  
  
"Lily. What am I going to do with you? You are no longer a child, looking for answers from fairytales. Haven't I told you before that the time is not right yet to confront the Centre? Your training all these years will be in vain if the confrontation takes place too soon." Joan frowned. "I swear. You have been incorrigible since you found out about that place."  
  
"You and everyone here at Angel's Hope have protected and trained me for years for this ultimate confrontation with evil. But you never gave me a name, a face, an entity. Now I finally find out who I am suppose to fight against and you tell me to forget about it." Lily stomped her foot as if she were that child that had been brought to this refuge of safety all those years ago.  
  
"You have a stubborn streak regardless of your gift for genius." Joan added.  
  
"Why have we been doing all this work over the years if we are going to let a place like the Centre destroy the good in the world?"  
  
Joan decided to change strategies. "Would you be willing to risk the others, including your own twin sister, to satisfy your curiosity?"  
  
Lily shot her a look, then closed her eyes. "Of course not. I would never put the others in danger. And stop playing psychiatrist for just a moment please. "  
  
She continued ignoring the last comment. "Well that's what you will do if you keep pursuing this. Now let it drop and enjoy the festivities. You are going to upset your sister, Rebecca. Remember that it's her birthday too and you know how she can pick up on your emotions."  
  
Lily let out a great sigh. "Fine. You win. I will enjoy the remainder of the day and not think about the Centre." She put her two fingers up in the air, while crossing her fingers behind her back.  
  
Joan started walking toward the other group of partygoers. "I saw that." She just smiled as she continued walking.  
  
"How does she do that?" Lily thought to herself as she followed Joan back to the party.  
  
******  
  
It was hours later and the party had gone well. She did all the standard birthday traditions - blowing out the candles and opening presents. Now she was sitting in front of her computer reading the information she had wanted to study all day. The head of the Centre was a Dr. William Raines. Under his direction was a man named Mr. Lyle. He had a very sinister past. He was the son of Raines' partner, Mr. Parker. Mr. Parker was missing at the present time. Mr. Parker also had a daughter who worked at the Centre. Governing the corporation was a group called the Triumvirate. She needed to learn more about these people if she was going to defeat them.  
  
"I need to leave Angel's Hope." she said out loud for the first time since seeing the information. It had been strictly forbidden without protection. Protection that she had had since she was four years old. Never alone and always watched. She had been told for their safety. They were very special children who had remarkable gifts. Gifts that had been nurtured and cultivated over the years. The founder of Angel's Hope had saved them from the horrible evil. They had been told this story over and over since she was a child.  
  
"Always give back to the world what you take from it." Joan had said. It was Angel's Hope's motto. "Do unto others what they do unto you." she had also said.  
  
"I'm trying Joan. This place has given me so much; I need to give back now." Lily said to herself. She laughed, she was once again talking to herself. But she would not be able to do her research if the guards were with her. They would immediately tell Joan and that was unacceptable. She hated that her life was under constant scrutiny. She started planning on how she would exact her escape. So she could research the Centre and find out who exactly sent her this information that unlocked the key to her past.  
  
*********  
  
Baltimore, Maryland  
  
February 2nd  
  
Jarod sat in a lonely hotel room eating candy out of one of his many Pez dispensers. He had gotten back from the Island of Carthis tired and confused. He had decided that he wanted a vacation. Correction, a new life. So much had happened.  
  
"Parker" he whispered. His feelings for Parker and what he had hoped were her feelings for him. But in the end, she had rejected him. Rejected the proposition of possibly having a relationship other than he runs and she chases.  
  
Prior to that he had found out that he had a brother, Ethan. A brother who was also Parker's half brother. "Another tie that binds." Jarod thought to himself. He had almost contacted his Mom on Carthis. He was so close, had it not been for the Centre once again interfering in his life. He would have been able to reunite his family for the first time in over thirty years. But here he was again, tired and alone. He was so tired of being alone. Maybe it was just the fact of the date. He picked up his cell phone and hit the speed dial.  
  
"What." Came Parker's voice over the phone. She had just poured herself a drink and really was not in the mood for this.  
  
"I see that Raines still has you in one piece Miss Parker." Jarod stated.  
  
"Physically yes, but mentally......." Parker trailed off. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip.  
  
Jarod thought for a second. His anger subsided by concern after hearing Parker's voice. "Quite a lot happened in the last few months huh?"  
  
"Yeah, you could say that."  
  
"Have you heard anything from Ethan?" Jarod asked  
  
"Just a note saying that he was OK, but was going to take some time to sort things out. Find out who he is. I guess he has to purge all the crap that Raines fed him." Parker paused and took a swig of whiskey. "I miss him Jarod."  
  
"Me too. I hope he's safe." Jarod was concerned for his baby brother. He knew that Raines would be looking for him.  
  
Parker heard the voices that she had been coming to know more clearly. Ethan had showed her that they were her guidance. Her mother. "He's fine."  
  
"Your mother always keeps watch over us, doesn't she?" Jarod asked knowing that Parker and Ethan had a connection that he only had read about. He had done research on the phenomena once he learned of Ethan's gift.  
  
"Yes, I like to think so." Parker looked at the picture of her and her mother. "I think we just have to give Ethan some space. He has allot to digest."  
  
"As do we." Jarod added.  
  
"As do we." Parker repeated letting her mind shift to the events of the Island and her father. Or more correctly, who was her father.  
  
He broke the short silence. "Anything surface about your father and the scrolls?" Jarod asked  
  
"No. I haven't heard anything about my father. I don't know how at his age he would be able to survive a parachute jump at that altitude." Parker choked, then cleared her throat. "But he's a Parker and that makes him a survivor. Can't kill a Parker." She repeated the line that her father had said to her in the hospital after she had been shot in the back.  
  
"I know the pain you're going through. I saw it in your eyes when your mother was supposedly killed in the elevator and when Tommy died."  
  
"Damn you Jarod." Parker bit back tears. "You have a hell of a way of bringing up the wrong subjects at the wrong times."  
  
"You're going to have to face your emotions at some point Parker." Now it was Jarod's turn to pause. Should he proceed with his original thought? "I could help you."  
  
"Misdirected emotions lead to madness." She downed the remainder of her drink. "Oh by the way - Happy Birthday." Jarod didn't respond. "Would have gotten you a present, but wasn't sure where to send it. Care to give me your address?" She said in her best sarcastic voice. No comeback. "Hello, Pez Boy, I said Happy Birthday." She waited again for a response. Her sarcasm now turned to concern. "Jarod?"  
  
"I'm here. Thank you." Jarod responded in a low voice.  
  
"Maybe I'm not the only one who needs to face a few things?" Parker responded back.  
  
" Maybe you're right." Jarod hung up the phone. Maybe he was going to have to face a few things. He picked up the donut on the table in front of him and lit the candle sticking out of it. He closed his eyes and made a wish. He opened his eyes and blew out the candle. "But I can keep wishing."  
  
********  
  
Lily looked carefully around the hall. She was carrying light - a backpack and jacket. She took a clicker out of her pocket and pointed it at the camera that spanned the door. She clicked the button, which sent the camera into a picture loop. She approached the door looking both ways to make sure that no one was coming. She took out the device that she had made in her lab that located and programmed the lock codes into the door. She had made both the devices earlier in her life when she had dreams of leaving Angel's Hope just to be able to go out into the world alone for once in her life. She put the card portion in the lock and typed in Joan's name. The machine started to enter the code.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" A figure was standing in the shadows.  
  
Lily spun around in shock. She recognized the voice. "Becky, you scared me to death." Lily was looking at Rebecca. She also had a backpack slung over her shoulder that caught her dirty blonde curly hair.  
  
"Well if you weren't sneaking around at the wee hours of the morning, then I wouldn't have scared you now would I?" Becky responded with that look she always gave her sister when she was doing something she wasn't suppose to. "You know Joan will have a coronary."  
  
The door code entered itself and the door clicked open. "I have to do this Beck. I don't know why, but I know the answers are out there. The answers to the questions I have had my whole life. And just how did you know I was here?"  
  
"I know you have been unhappy for a while and that you received some information that you just decided you couldn't share with me. Your sister." Becky said with a hurt in her voice. "I felt today that you were up to something, so I decided to join you. Watch your back."  
  
She envied her sister's gift, which she did not possess. "Becky, it's too dangerous. I don't know who or what I'm going to be up against. Plus Joan would have a fit if both of us left." Lily responded. She started out the door.  
  
Becky followed. "I'm going and if you don't let me go I'm blowing the whistle right now." She folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"You are acting like a child." Lily snapped.  
  
"And you're not. At forty-three years of age, you're running away from home." Becky was holding the door open. "So what is it? Do I go or do I turn you in?"  
  
"Ahh, fine. Come on." Both woman left together to find what the future held.  
  
*********  
  
Jarod was just finishing his donut when his computer said "You have Mail." He went to the computer expecting something from possibly Angelo. He opened the e-mail and started reading. After a few moments he looked up. "No, not again." He grabbed his bag and started putting things in it. "They can't do this to another child. Don't these people ever give up?" He grabbed his bag and left the room. He threw the bag into the car and got in the other side. He sped out of the parking lot and headed for Delaware.  
  
**********  
  
Once they had cleared the outer guards at Angel's Hope, the stopped to rest.  
  
"Ok Einstein. Are we going to walk all the way to where we're going? Couldn't we get one of the cars from the car pool?" Becky pleaded.  
  
"If you're not up to this you can always go back." Lily responded half hoping her sister would go back. "We can't get a car from the motor pool because it would be traceable and they could report it stolen. Zap, we're back at Angel's Hope."  
  
"Well then are we walking all the way?" Becky asked  
  
"No, I have this." Lily pulled a credit card from her pocket. "We'll rent a car."  
  
"How did you get that?" Becky asked snatching the card from Lily.  
  
"Anything is possible with a computer." Lily responded smugly and took the card back. "Come on. We have a while to go to get into town." Lily started up the hill.  
  
Becky looked at Lily. "Lil, by the way where are we going?"  
  
Lily turned around and looked at Becky. "Blue Cove, Delaware." She turned and started up the hill again.  
  
"Delaware! That's all the way across the country. We're going to drive all that way?"  
  
"I know. We'll take a plane out of Denver. That's why you better get moving." Lily called back.  
  
"I hope you have one heck of a limit on that credit card." Becky stated as she caught up with Lily.  
  
***********  
  
The funny thing about life is that it always seems to deal you new cards when you least expect them.  
  
Little did anyone know that in the life of Pretenders, there were two worlds with one destiny. 


	2. Travel Time

The funny thing about life is that it always seems to deal you new cards when you least expect them.  
  
Little did anyone know that in the life of Pretenders, there were two worlds with one destiny.  
  
**********  
  
Card #1  
  
Becky was starting to lag behind. "Lil", she was panting, "Wait up."  
  
Lily had been going on at a good pace. She was a very athletic built woman and was in good shape. "Come on slow poke. This has been exhilarating."  
  
"Lily, I'm not use to this. Slow down." She stopped in place and kicked the snow. "I'm not going another step."  
  
Lily turned around. "OK. We'll stop for a bit." She found a boulder for them to sit on. She pulled the backpack off her back and opened it. After digging in the bag, she pulled out a bag of peanuts. 'Want some? Good in protein." She offered the bag.  
  
Becky came over and plopped herself on the rock. "I think I'm going to have to get a moped to keep up with you." She put her hand out for some peanuts.  
  
Lily pulled out a bottle of water. "Here. Have a drink. I told you all those years you should have taken gym class more seriously. Or at least been doing aerobics, tai chi, something the last couple of years." Lily laughed.  
  
"Excuse me for liking Evita over Richard Simmons. I am the artsy one. You smart and athletic, me computer geek and music literate." Becky retorted. "I wish I were playing my piano right now."  
  
Lily looked at Becky. She was obviously tired and breathing heavily. "You could go back." She said very seriously.  
  
"If I went back, I would have to squeal on you. You know Joan has a way of getting things out of me. She's like the mother we never had. Besides you promised me an adventure." Becky smiled at Lily and mock punched her in the arm.  
  
"OK, over that hill and then we'll be in town. I have the car already reserved. We pick it up and then head for Denver International Airport. Adventure Begins." Lily put the peanuts and bottled water back in the backpack and started her walk again. Becky rubbed her aching legs and got up to follow. She decided to play Mozart in her head to pass the time walking.  
  
*************  
  
Card #2  
  
Jarod had stopped at a hotel on the outskirts of Blue Cove. He knew being this close was dangerous, but he had to figure his next plan of attack. The message had been sent saying that Lyle was bringing the five year old child to the Centre. He wasn't sure if she had gone through Charleston, SC or if they were bringing her straight to the Centre. They may not have chanced taking her to Angel Manor since Jarod knew of it's existence and had already stolen their last Pretender, Davey, from there. Jarod opened his computer and started an e-mail to Angelo. He needed more information. After a few minutes, his e-mail chimed that he had a reply. He quickly opened the e-mail and began to read. A confused look came over Jarod's face. "If you didn't send me the information Angelo, then who did?"  
  
**************  
  
Card #3  
  
Miss Parker lay in bed. One of the many nightmares that invaded her sleep had occurred. She had awoken thinking about Jarod. About the Island. About who she was descended from. The monster that was her great-grandfather. The outcast Jarod had said she was. And how she had wanted to be comforted by him. She remembered:  
  
"Let the storm rage outside, Miss Parker. Not inside you." Jarod had said  
  
"Easy for you to say Jarod. There's a graveyard full of Parker's burned to death by their father. My great grandfather. The same year my great grandfather arrived alone and founded the Centre. Generation after generation. That evil has been passed down to me." Parker stated.  
  
"You know who you are." Jarod replied back.  
  
"I'm a Parker. And with every new revelation in my life, my family portrait becomes a more hideous picture." Jarod had handed her a soothing cup of tea, but nothing was going to soothe her. They had continued to talk about the Centre and how it had consumed both their lives.  
  
She then she had spoken the words she had kept hidden inside all these years. "Why is it that the one person that I have been trained to distrust, to hate, to capture is always with me during the most difficult moments of my life."  
  
"Maybe, it's suppose to be that way...."Jarod had stated with passion in his eyes.  
  
How they had almost kissed at Ocee's and how much she had wanted to kiss him. But in the car she had chosen survival over Jarod. She had hurt him. Even though she wasn't looking at him, she knew that he had been hurt. Could feel it. And ever since, her mother's voice had been in her mind telling her she had made the wrong decision. "I can't show them any weakness Mother." She talked to the thin air, but knew her mother was listening. "It's too dangerous right now." But inside, she craved the one person who could save her from the mess that was her life.  
  
**************  
  
The girls had dropped off the rental car at the station. They were entering the airport, when Lily spotted one of the Retrieval Team members. She pushed Becky up against the wall. They had found the plane tickets in the rental car as she had instructed the travel agent.  
  
"Becky, we have to figure out some way to get to Gate 4 without Larry seeing us." Lily said truly nervous now. She had thought they would have more time before they knew the two were gone.  
  
"Lily, look." Becky was pointing to a large group of tourists following a tour guide. "Can we blend into them?"  
  
"It's worth a try Sis." Lily responded. She headed for the group, tilting her head down as to hide her face. Becky did the same. They successfully avoided the Retriever. They slipped out of the crowd and headed for Gate 4. Lily and Becky approached the boarding area and checked in before boarding the plane. It was daylight now and they had booked the first plane to Delaware. "They know now that we're missing, it's going to be a race to see who gets to Delaware first." Lily stated while scanning the area.  
  
"We'll have to be on alert. You know Joan will be with the Retrieval Team when they come after us Lil. We'll be running from the one person that I have felt safe with all my life since we got to Angel's Hope." Becky added after sitting in one of the waiting area chairs. "I feel like one of America's Most Wanted."  
  
Lily came and sat next to her and pulled a file out of her backpack. "I know." She put her head against Becky's. "I know. Think we'll end up on the Post Office wall?" She smiled at her sister and opened the file. "I think our first course of action is to find a motel close to Blue Cove. We'll rent a car at the airport. We'll do a surveillance of the grounds so that I can get an idea of the layout of the Centre. I have basic floor plans here, but not as detailed as I had hoped."  
  
"Lil", Becky started, "who sent you the information?"  
  
"I don't know. I just received an e-mail with the information. It said that it was vital to the survival of my family and a key to my past. So that makes it a key to our past." Lily replied looking back down at the plans putting them to memory.  
  
"How do you know that this isn't some sort of trap? If this is the place that they told us about for all those years, then they want us. May have been looking for us all these years." Becky took the file. She got a flash of a man typing the e-mail. Scared. Angry.  
  
Lily looked at her. "Anything?"  
  
"A man scared and angry, but not dangerous to us I think. I think he wants us to help someone, but I'm not sure whom?" Becky replied still trying to decipher her vision.  
  
"How I envy you for being able to do that." Lily was impressed with her sister's ability and how she had learned to control the visions.  
  
"You wouldn't say that if you got the wicked headaches they cause sometimes." Becky replied not being able to see anything further. "I think he has something to do with both the Centre and Angel's Hope, but I'm not sure. And I don't believe he means you any harm."  
  
"That's good to know. Just wished I knew why he was doing it. What is his connection between the two places?" Lily was contemplating.  
  
"Now boarding Gate 4 to Blue Cove, Delaware." They heard announced over the intercom. The girls stood up and were last in line to go past the attendant. Lily handed the attendant her ticket and passed. Becky was handing her ticket, when a commotion began behind her.  
  
"Stop that plane!" They heard yelled from the crowd of people.  
  
Becky quickly took back her ticket and pushed Lily through the boarding ramp to the plane. The attendant closed and locked the door just as Joan and Larry reached the door. Lily could see Joan through the window, nodded her head and waved. She then turned and boarded the plane.  
  
Joan watched as the loading ramp was retracted and the plane took off. "Get me the next flight to Delaware." She stated to Larry with an angered tone.  
  
*******************  
  
Jarod had lain down in order to get some rest before he entered the Centre that evening. He hated going into that place. But on several occasions he had been forced to and this was no exception. He would not let them harm another child, even if he had to steal back every single one they took. His sleep was restless. He dreamed of his own abduction and how he had screamed for his mother and father. Then he saw his mother's face. As she had been on the Island, worn and tired. She had been trying to find out who he was. But what did that mean?  
  
"Who are you Jarod?" He could hear his mother's voice whisper.  
  
"Who am I Mother?" He heard himself respond back. He awoke with a start and sat straight up. "Mom?" He called out into the darkness. Then realized where he was and hung his head. He got out of bed and went into the bathroom to splash water on his face. He started getting ready for his trip to the Centre.  
  
*************  
  
Lily and Becky disembarked the plane and surveyed the area. "I don't see any Retrievers. I think we got here first." Becky shook her head in agreement while contributing to the surveillance. "Let's get the car and get out of here." Lily and Becky headed for the rental car station.  
  
An hour later, they had a car and were heading for a remote motel on the outskirts of Blue Cove. They checked in and went to a small store for supplies. They ate and spent the rest of the afternoon going over different simulations of what could happen at the Centre and if they were found at the hotel. They considered every situation. It would be nighttime soon. Becky laid down and fell asleep quickly. Lily lay on her bed unable or unwilling to sleep. She had never executed one of her own simulations herself. It had always been one of the Retrieval Team that had gone and done the job. To make things worse, she had Becky with her. She had to make sure nothing went wrong. She fell into a non-restful sleep.  
  
**************  
  
Card #4  
  
Jarod left his room and got into his car. He was going to go in through the North area ventilation system. That was their weakest spot. The child was suppose to be held in the renovated SL 27 subsection. Angelo was doing reconnaissance for him and he would meet him in one of the ventilation shafts they used as children. Jarod started his car and headed for the Centre.  
  
The sound of a car starting woke Lily up. She looked at the clock. It was 9 p.m. Time to get ready. "Becky, wake up." She nudged Becky slightly. Lily had to laugh to herself. She had had dreams of monsters and evil men and here was Becky grinning in her sleep. Obviously dreaming something pleasant and wonderful. She envied Becky's ability to do that, shut out the outside world. She shook her again. "Becky."  
  
Becky opened her eyes. "Is it morning?" She asked knowing that it would irk her sister and hopefully lighten her mood.  
  
"Get up, you." Lily saw right through her. "We have to go."  
  
"Ok. Can I take a bubble bath first?" Becky smiled as she got out of bed.  
  
"Get your backpack." Lily pushed her sister slightly. "Remind me never to lend you to her Majesty's Secret Service."  
  
"I think you have seen one too many James Bond movies." Becky picked up her bag.  
  
Lily grabbed her's and took the map off the table. "Let's go." Both headed for the car.  
  
Jarod had met Angelo who had showed him where the little girl was. As they observed her, she looked catatonic. "They did to her what they did to me?" Angelo asked.  
  
"Yes, Angelo. Somehow they did it again. We have to get her out of here and to safety where I can make the anecdote. I just hope it's not too late." Jarod took out his laptop and entered the security code he had stolen out of the Centre's Main Frame. He disabled the room's security system and crawled down into the room. He scooped up the little girl and handed her to Angelo. Then he reentered the shaft and closed the grate. He went back to the computer and enabled the system again. "Angelo, lets get out of here."  
  
"I help you." Angelo stated to Jarod stroking the young girl's long hair. Angelo helped Jarod go back through the ventilation system. Jarod was holding the young girl and feeling like he had failed her. He hadn't been there to protect her against the monsters of the Centre. Before exiting the system Angelo grabbed Jarod's arm. Jarod turned to look at him. "Not your fault." Angelo nodded at the girl. Jarod half smiled at Angelo, not believing what he had said. When they got outside, Jarod headed for his car with Angelo behind him.  
  
Lily and Becky were scouting the North area of the Centre's perimeter when they spotted a figure carrying a small body. Lily swung her bag around and pulled out the one thing she was hoping she would never have to use. Lily approached the dark figure and pointed her gun at him. "Put the child down." She ordered.  
  
Jarod in one motion threw the little girl over his shoulder, pulled his gun that had been tucked into the back of his pants and pointed it at the figure standing before him. "Never."  
  
And there they stood across from each other, with guns pointed at each other's chest.  
  
******************  
  
A moment in time, a shuffle of the deck, and destiny begins 


	3. New Aquitances

Lily and Becky were scouting the North area of the Centre's perimeter when they spotted a figure carrying a small body. Lily swung her bag around and pulled out the one thing she was hoping she would never have to use. Lily approached the dark figure and pointed her gun at him. "Put the child down." She ordered.  
  
Jarod in one motion threw the little girl over his shoulder, pulled his gun that had been tucked into the back of his pants, and pointed it at the figure standing before him. "Never."  
  
And there they stood across from each other, with guns pointed at each other's chest.  
  
"Put the child down or I will shoot you." Lily stated again.  
  
"I would rather die than let you Centre personnel get another child. So where is your boss Mr. Lyle?" Jarod growled at Lily.  
  
"I'm not from the Centre, you are. We saw you carrying that poor little girl to the Centre." Lily bantered back.  
  
"I'm not carrying her to there; I'm carrying her from there." Jarod tried to explain. "They are going to do terrible things to her if you don't let us go."  
  
"No. Lies. That place is evil and we saw you going there. Put the child down." Lily was getting frustrated.  
  
"Lily no, maybe we should listen to him. Can we really say that he was coming or going?" Becky didn't want a misunderstanding to erupt into gunfire.  
  
"Jarod good man. Good soul." Angelo chimed in.  
  
Jarod decided to make the first gesture. He put his gun down and laid the girl on the ground. Looking up while kneeling next to the girl. "OK. I've done what you asked. Now put the gun down. Who are you and what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm not answering any questions until I get some answers. What is wrong with her?" Lily pointed her gun toward the little girl. "What did you do to her?"  
  
"I didn't do anything. The Centre did. She has been conditioned to become a Pretender. And you better hurry and make up your mind about me because pretty soon we are all going to be escorted into the Centre." Jarod knew they were losing valuable time.  
  
"He's right Lil. We have to figure out something soon. I can feel it." Becky added to the conversation.  
  
"Danger. They're coming Jarod." Angelo also added.  
  
Becky decided to take the matter into her own hands. She quickly moved to Jarod and touched his arm.  
  
"Becky don't!" But Lily was too late. Becky was already reading Jarod. "Well?"  
  
"He's telling the truth Lily. He's been part of the Centre, but now he's fighting against them." Becky looked into Jarod's eyes. "I'm so sorry." She got up and walked back over to Lily.  
  
Lily debated one more minute and lowered her gun.  
  
******************  
  
The alarms were sounded and bells were ringing on every level. Men were running everywhere. Sydney ran out of his office, he had been working late on a research project.  
  
"What's happening?" He asked one of the techs running by.  
  
"Breach in security Doctor." She ran off down the hall.  
  
"Jarod." Sydney smiled. He knew that the only one who ever could breach security was Jarod. He decided to go to Lyle's office. Lyle was in a state of frustration. "What's happening Lyle?"  
  
"Your boy wonder has yet again disrupted one of our projects." Lyle slammed his fists on the desk. "And if that's not enough, that freak Angelo is also missing."  
  
"Angelo is missing?" Now Sydney was concerned.  
  
"I'm heading the search team. Get out of my way Sydney." Lyle pushed Sydney out of the way.  
  
Sydney hoped that if Angelo was out of the Centre, then at least he was with Jarod.  
  
*************  
  
"Thank you for trusting me. My name is Jarod." He said to Lily.  
  
"I'm Lily. This is my sister Becky. And if Becky says that you are OK, then you are OK. She's never wrong." She replied.  
  
"Jarod in danger. I'm going to distract." Angelo said as he headed back toward the Centre.  
  
"Angelo no!" Jarod semi shouted. But it was too late. Angelo was already heading for the Centre at full speed.  
  
"We have to get her out of here now." Jarod stated picking up the little girl.  
  
"Are you going to let him go back there?" Becky asked.  
  
"I don't have time to explain, but he is actually safer there. He wouldn't survive in the outside world."  
  
"We have a place not far from here. We can take her there..........." Lily started, but never got to finish. Standing in front of her was Miss Parker. Her 9mm pointed right at the group.  
  
"I don't think you'll be going anywhere." Parker stated.  
  
"Good evening Miss Parker. Out for a nighttime stroll?" Jarod asked sarcastically.  
  
"Jarod, who's this?" Lily asked.  
  
"Meet the Centre's number one tracker, Miss Parker." Jarod introduced Lily and Becky.  
  
"And whom do we have here?" Parker asked motioning to the sisters. "And don't either of you try for your weapons. Throw them here." Parker motioned to her feet.  
  
Lily looked at Jarod. Jarod shook his head yes and Lily threw her weapon towards Parker.  
  
"Let them go Parker. The Centre has nothing to do with either of them." Jarod pleaded as he threw his gun down.  
  
"If they have nothing to do with the Centre Jarod. Then what the hell are they doing here?" Parker surmised.  
  
"Listen lady. I don't know who you are, but we have a very sick little girl here and the clock is ticking." Lily wanted to try and distract Parker.  
  
Parker took a closer look at the girl in Jarod's arms. "Another child?" Parker's tone softened.  
  
"Yes and we're running out of time Miss Parker. Pretty soon we may not be able to reverse the effects."  
  
"Jarod, you know I have to bring you in. I have no choice." Suddenly something struck Parker in the side of her throat. "Damn! What the ..........." She collapsed onto the ground.  
  
Lily, Jarod, and Becky ran to the woman. "What happened?" Lily pulled out a small dart from her neck. "It's a dart." She showed it to Jarod. She spotted a red light on Jarod's neck. The next thing she knew, Jarod was grabbing his neck and collapsed next to Miss Parker. "Jarod."  
  
"Centre personnel?" Becky whispered.  
  
"They're using a scope to fire the darts." Lily searched the area for where the firing was occurring. She spotted several dark figures coming towards them. She desperately looked underneath Miss Parker for her gun.  
  
"That won't be necessary Lily." Came a familiar voice from the figures.  
  
"Joan?" Asked Becky.  
  
Joan Stedman came into view. She had a Retrieval Team with her. "Get the two and the child and take them back to the van." She turned toward Lily and Becky. "And you have given us quite a bit of trouble ladies. Now let's go."  
  
Lily gave Joan a look. "Go where Joan? That little girl needs help and you just neutralized the only person who knows how to help her."  
  
"No one can help her. It has been too long since her conditioning. Now we will bring her back and try to help her like the others."  
  
"You go back. I'm going to deal with them." Lily nodded in the direction of the voices that were coming closer.  
  
Two of the Retrieval Team members moved closer to Lily. "No you won't Lily. You have already jeopardized everything we have worked for all these years."  
  
"This is what I have been programmed for all these years. I'm not going back to Angel's Hope."  
  
Joan nodded her head. The Retrieval Team members grabbed Lily's arms.  
  
"Joan what are you doing?" Asked Becky  
  
"What I have to do." With that Joan turned to see Lily flipping backwards out of the team members hands and kicking them to the ground. "Get her!"  
  
The team got to their feet and one tackled Lily to the ground. Joan ran over and took a syringe out of her pocket. Quickly she shot it into Lily's arm.  
  
"Joan. Why............" Lily fell into unconsciousness. 


	4. Eyes Made Wide Open

"Jarod, you know I have to bring you in. I have no choice." Suddenly something struck Parker in the side of her throat. "Damn! What the ..........." She collapsed onto the ground. In the distance the group heard muffled voices.  
  
Lily, Jarod, and Becky ran to the woman. "What happened?" Lily pulled out a small dart from her neck. "It's a dart." She showed it to Jarod. She spotted a red light on Jarod's neck. The next thing she knew, Jarod was grabbing his neck and collapsed next to Miss Parker. "Jarod."  
  
"Centre personnel?" Becky whispered.  
  
"They're using a scope to fire the darts." Lily searched the area for where the firing was occurring. She spotted several dark figures coming towards them. She desperately looked underneath Miss Parker for her gun.  
  
"That won't be necessary Lily." Came a familiar voice from the figures.  
  
"Joan?" Asked Becky.  
  
Joan Stedman came into view. She had a Retrieval Team with her. "Get the two and the child and take them back to the van." She turned toward Lily and Becky. "And you have given us quite a bit of trouble ladies. Now let's go."  
  
Lily gave Joan a look. "Go where Joan? That little girl needs help and you just neutralized the only person who knows how to help her."  
  
"No one can help her. It has been too long since her conditioning. Now we will bring her back and try to help her like the others."  
  
"You go back. I'm going to deal with them." Lily nodded in the direction of the voices that were coming closer.  
  
Two of the Retrieval Team members moved closer to Lily. "No you won't Lily. You have already jeopardized everything we have worked for all these years."  
  
"This is what I have been programmed for all these years. I'm not going back to Angel's Hope."  
  
Joan nodded her head. The Retrieval Team members grabbed Lily's arms.  
  
"Joan what are you doing?" Asked Becky  
  
"What I have to do." With that Joan turned to see Lily flipping backwards out of the team members hands and kicking them to the ground. "Get her!"  
  
The team got to their feet and one tackled Lily to the ground. Joan ran over and took a syringe out of her pocket. Quickly she shot it into Lily's arm.  
  
"Joan. Why............" Lily fell into unconsciousness.  
  
Joan picked up the weapons off the ground and handed them to one of her assistants. She then turned to Becky and pulled out another syringe. "Becky?"  
  
Becky looked at Joan and the syringe. "Where's the van?" Becky and Joan followed the Team carrying Lily to the van.  
  
Joan took her phone out of her pocket. "What is the status of the plane coming in from Morocco?"  
  
The voice on the other end informed the psychiatrist that the plane was at the Blue Cove airstrip.  
  
"Good. We're on our way in. Have the jet ready to fly." Everyone got into the van.  
  
Becky sat in the passenger seat with a team member on either side. She looked back at the others unconscious in the back of the van. "What's going to happen now Joan?"  
  
"I don't know. But we're going home." The van took off into the night just as the Centre personnel reached where Jarod and Lily had stood.  
  
***********************  
  
Angelo had run circles around the Sweeper Team and they had lost valuable time. Lyle could see the van taking off into the night. "Get a Sweeper Team to follow that van. Jarod's got my prize possession and I want it back!"  
  
"Yes Mr. Lyle." Sam stated.  
  
Lyle checked out the ground. There seemed to be the impression of heeled shoes. "It looks like there was some kind of commotion here. Get a team out here to check every bit of ground. I want to know what went on here." Lyle went to head back to the Centre when he spotted Angelo. "And put him back in his cage." He motioned at Angelo with a fling of his hand.  
  
"Yes Sir."  
  
Angelo looked back at the taillights in the distance as he was being escorted and smiled.  
  
**********************  
  
Lily's eyes fluttered open. A nurse was standing over her removing an IV out of her arm. She looked around and realized she was back in her room at Angel's Hope. She tried to sit up, but was too groggy and fell back onto the bed. The nurse swiped her card and left the room.  
  
"Don't try to get up yet Lily. You still have the anesthetic in your system."  
  
Lily tried to focus and realized that Becky was sitting at the foot of her bed.  
  
"What happened?" Lily asked in a raspy voice.  
  
"Joan felt that it would be better if she kept you sedated for a while." Becky got off the bed and went to pour a glass of water out of a pitcher on the nightstand. She went over to Lily. "Here, have a drink."  
  
Lily took a sip and laid back down. "How long have I been out?"  
  
"Three days." Becky looked down at the glass.  
  
Lily tried to get up again. "Three days! I have to get up......." She collapsed again on the bed.  
  
"I told you you're not ready. They used some heavy-duty drugs on you Sis."  
  
"Why?" Lily closed her eyes trying to focus.  
  
"For one, because Joan didn't want you to fight and try to leave again. She knew you would be mad. Two, she's trying to figure out what to do with our guests."  
  
Lily opened her eyes. "You mean escape. She brought Jarod and the Parker woman here?"  
  
"I never felt we were escaping from here. . And yes, she said that she couldn't just leave them there. But she wouldn't tell me why."  
  
"Because they know about us." Lily said in frustration. "Now they're trapped here like we are."  
  
"Why is it that I always felt that Angel's Hope was a safe refuge and you felt like a prisoner?" Becky asked.  
  
"Maybe the hypodermic in my arm justifies my feelings." Lily bit back. "Sorry, I know this is hard on you. How is the little girl? And where are Jarod and Miss Parker?"  
  
"The little girl is going through re-adjustification."  
  
"Is she responding?" Lily asked with concern in her voice.  
  
"A little. Joan said that it would be a slow progress. A drug was used that she is not familiar with. And Jarod and Miss Parker are comfortable in their guest quarters."  
  
Lily started pulling herself up and Becky tried to help her this time. "I have to go see Jarod. He might know what drug was used."  
  
Becky looked at the floor. "You can't do that right now Lil."  
  
"Why not?" Lily questioned while trying to steady herself.  
  
"Joan has them under sedation and quarantine. Plus, Hun, you're under quarantine. Only certain personnel are allowed in here and you're not allowed out." She pointed to the card key lock next to Lily's door.  
  
"She put a lock on my door?"  
  
"And a guard." Becky added.  
  
"So. I am a prisoner." Lily put her head on her sister's shoulder.  
  
********************  
  
Sydney made his way to Angelo's room. He opened the door and went inside. He found Angelo sitting at his computer with a concerned look on his face.  
  
"What's wrong Angelo?" Sydney trying to look at what Angelo had on the computer.  
  
Angelo escaped out of the program he was in and looked at Sydney. "Jarod not responding. Jarod lost."  
  
"How is Jarod lost Angelo? Is he in trouble? Does Mr. Lyle have him?" Sydney was concerned.  
  
"No. Lyle angry." Angelo's face went into a growl. "Property gone. Raines mad."  
  
"What about Jarod Angelo?"  
  
Angelo picked up a piece of paper and started drawing a picture. When he was finished, a picture of a statue of an angel with spread wings was on the paper. "He's with the angel's. Miss Parker too."  
  
"Angelo, can I have this piece of paper?" Sydney had recognized that Angelo was saying that wherever Jarod was, he was by this statue. "I'll speak with you later Angelo."  
  
Sydney left the room and headed for Broots' office. Maybe Broots could find a match to the statue. And they had to find a match before the Centre realized that Miss Parker was with Jarod.  
  
****************  
  
Lily had been sitting on her bed. She had taken a shower and had gotten changed into a long sleeve shirt and jeans. She was feeling more coherent now. She realized that they had gone through her room. It was way too clean.  
  
The door lock beeped and the door opened. Joan came through the door carrying a tray of food. "Thought you might be hungry now." She put the tray on the nightstand.  
  
"You mean that I might be hungry after being on an IV drip for three days?" Lily said with anger in her voice.  
  
"Lily, I did that for your best interest. You were not going to listen to me until you cooled down."  
  
"And that was your solution to my anger. I think you made a mistake. I'm just angrier. " Lily looked away from Joan.  
  
"Lily. Being in charge means having to make certain decisions." She was trying to justify herself.  
  
"Like putting a lock on my door and treating me like the prisoner I have been my whole life." The words that she had kept inside all these years from Joan had finally come out.  
  
"You don't know what being a prisoner means! But I think you're about to find out. Eat. In an hour, we're taking the IV out on Jarod. I think you should be there when he wakes up." Joan turned, went to the door, and swiped her card. She left without another word.  
  
******************  
  
Jarod shook his head, trying to shake off the fuzziness in his head. He immediately surveyed the room. Nurse, IV stand, nightstand, dresser with mirror, door with card key lock, and the woman who had stopped him at the Centre. The woman named Lily was sitting at the end of his bed. "Where am I?"  
  
"Angel's Hope. It's where I live." Lily responded.  
  
"How did we get here?" Jarod was trying to put together a perspective of where he was.  
  
Lily moved up the bed with the glass of water in her hand and gave Jarod a sip. "I'm not actually sure. I was unconscious." Lily looked down at the cup that was now in her lap. "I would assume on one of our jets."  
  
"Unconscious? Why would your own people knock you out?" Jarod laid back down on the pillow. This bit of information made him curious.  
  
" Because we had a difference of opinion. I saw myself attacking the Centre and they saw me being here." Lily smiled a little.  
  
"And the girl?" Jarod realized that if he was here, so was the possible new Pretender.  
  
"She's resting comfortably. I think we may need your help Jarod."  
  
"My help? Why?" Jarod pushed himself up.  
  
"Joan says that the girl's conditioning was achieved with a new drug that they are not familiar with. They don't have the correct counter agent to reverse the effects. She was hoping that you knew what drug they had used." Lily looked into Jarod's eyes. She saw the pain in them as she delivered the news.  
  
"I know the anecdote, but it had to be administered within a certain time span. How long have I been out?"  
  
"Three days." Lily could see Jarod's pain turn to rage. "Jarod, I know how you are feeling. I went through the same thing. Becky told me that Joan estimated that the girl had been conditioned five days prior to your rescue attempt. Even if we hadn't stopped you, there would have been nothing you could do."  
  
Jarod hung his head. "Nothing."  
  
"Jarod. The only hope that little girl has is our Re-Adjustification Team. They have dealt with other children like her."  
  
"You have had other children here with the same condition?" Jarod was confused. Davey had been the first child, since the red files, that he had known of that Raines had tried his drug therapy on.  
  
"Yes, the Retrieval Teams have brought them here since even before I was here. And I have been here since I was four."  
  
Jarod laid back down in shock. There had been more children harmed by the Centre. "Were they made that way by the Centre?"  
  
"I don't know. I just learned of the Centre a little while ago. I just know that the children were brought here and that I have assisted in their re- education."  
  
Jarod feeling stronger sat up. Then a thought entered his mind. "If I'm here, the girl is here, does that mean........."  
  
"Yes, Miss Parker is here as well. She is still under sedation." Lily replied as if she were reading his mind.  
  
"Then we may have more trouble than you originally thought."  
  
Lily was about to ask why, when the door opened. Joan stood there with two members of the Retrieval Team. "Hello Jarod. I am Dr. Joan Stedman. I think it's time that you come with us to SL 27."  
  
Jarod's eyes grew big with fear as he heard that sub-level number.  
  
Lily looked at Joan. "Why are you taking him to the Re-Adjustification level?"  
  
"I'm sorry Lily. He knows too much and we're going to have to take care of that." 


	5. Actions & Consequences

Lily was about to ask why, when the door opened. Joan stood there with two members of the Retrieval Team. "Hello Jarod. I am Dr. Joan Stedman. I think it's time that you come with us to SL 27."  
  
Jarod's eyes grew big with fear as he heard that sub-level number. He looked around the room to see if there was any other possible escape.  
  
Lily looked at Joan. "Why are you taking him to the Re-Adjustification level?"  
  
"I'm sorry Lily. He knows too much and we're going to have to take care of that."  
  
Jarod looked at Joan. "You have no reason to worry that I will reveal anything about you or your organization."  
  
"I can't take that chance Jarod. I have to think about the safety of the people that live and work here. Now please don't make this difficult." Joan motioned to the men.  
  
Lily put herself in front of Jarod and the men stopped. "There is no way I am going to let this happen Joan. Do you know what that program will do to him?"  
  
"He will forget about seeing you, Becky, and being in this facility." Joan retorted.  
  
"You can't just erase a couple of days. You will have to erase weeks. What if something goes wrong? You are going to leave him defenseless out there with the Centre looking for him. Why don't you just wrap him in a red bow and give him to the Centre!" Lily's fury was showing.  
  
"Let me remind you that you caused all this young lady. I am just trying to clean up your mess." Lily tried to hide her hurt look. "Now the procedure is completely safe. We have used it before and the people were fine."  
  
"What procedure are you talking about?" Jarod asked now trying to pull himself completely up to a sitting position.  
  
"It's a procedure where we erase that part of your memory that holds the information that you have been here." Joan replied.  
  
"I can't be brainwashed. The Centre has tried and failed." Jarod tried to explain.  
  
"This is a very intricate procedure Jarod. It has a 100% success rate." Joan bantered.  
  
"Have you forgotten Joan that I designed that procedure and there is a 6.5% chance that the person can be left with a permanent amnesiac state. This man is being hunted by people that you have told me for years are brutal and unmerciful. Can you in good conscious leave him out there for them to just pick up and do as they please?" Lily gave that stare to Joan that Joan knew meant that she wasn't going to win. "So you can try to take him by force, but know that I will be there fighting you every step of the way. And I will stop you even if I have to take down every computer in this place." Lily put her hands on her hips and stood her ground. 'And you know that I can."  
  
Joan looked at Lily and then the ceiling. "What am I suppose to do Lily? Just let him walk out of here. And what about the Parker woman? She works for the Centre."  
  
For the first time Lily realized what name both Jarod and Joan had said. "Parker." She looked at Jarod. "You called her Miss Parker." Lily was confused and looked at both Joan and Jarod. "Is she relation to Catherine Parker?"  
  
*************  
  
Lyle was pacing in his office talking to Mr. Raines on his headphone. "No. I am doing everything possible to locate Jarod and the child. Yes. I know that this puts another delay in the Gemini Succession Project. I can't tell you where the breech in Security is yet Sir. My men are working on it. Yes, we will put more men on the case." Lyle heard a click on the other end of the phone. "You'll get yours soon enough. Dad." Lyle went back to his desk and started to make a phone call. He was tapping a folder that had the words "Succession Project" in bold letters. Angelo backed slowly out of the airshaft he had been sitting in watching Lyle.  
  
Once out of the vent, Angelo went to his computer. He initiated an e-mail to Jarod. It held a single phrase.  
  
Must stop Gemini Succession Project.  
  
He hit send.  
  
*************  
  
Sydney walked into Broots' office. "Anything Mr. Broots?"  
  
"I have been trying to research every piece of architecture that holds an angel, but so far no matches." Broots replied. "I've heard from Mort in car pool that Jarod has messed up one of Lyle's projects big time. Raines is furious. And that whatever he did, he took Miss Parker."  
  
"Yes Broots. I had heard that yesterday from Angelo. It's not like Jarod. He wouldn't take Miss Parker with him and endanger the child." Sydney was trying to reason what Jarod was doing.  
  
"Maybe they are working together now? They did work together on that island off Scotland." Broots replied.  
  
"When Miss Parker came back from Carthis, it did not look like there was an alliance. No, something's wrong. Care to do a little reconnaissance in Lyle's computer files?" Sydney asked with his eye raised.  
  
Broots got that sick feeling in his stomach. "I was afraid you were going to say that." Broots went to work on trying to hack into Lyle's computer files.  
  
**************  
  
Joan looked sad at the mention of Catherine Parker.  
  
"She is her daughter Lily." Jarod enlightened her.  
  
"The e-mail I received said that a Mr. Parker runs the Centre. Is he her father?"  
  
Jarod laughed. "Yes, for all intent purposes, he is her father."  
  
Lily looked confused. "For all intent purposes? How could she be Catherine Parker's daughter and work for the Centre?"  
  
"I'll have to explain that to you later. If I have a later?" Jarod looked at Joan.  
  
"I've decided that I will not require you to go through the procedure." She turned and walked to the door with the two guards right behind her. "But it comes with a price."  
  
Jarod and Lily looked at Joan with curiosity.  
  
She turned and looked at the two. "You will become a member of Angel's Hope. That means that you follow our rules and you never leave this facility again." She swiped her card and a click opened the door.  
  
"What about Miss Parker?" Jarod asked.  
  
"She will be offered the same deal. If either of you can't live with it, then you go through the procedure and are placed back in the outside world. Miss Parker will be coming off her IV soon. I think both of you should be there. Larry will be right outside the door when you're ready." Joan swung the door open and walked through before Jarod could comment. The door clicked shut after the two men followed.  
  
Jarod was visibly angry. "I can't stay here. I have work to do. People to stop." He noticed that Lily had her head bowed down and was trying to stop tears from flowing down her cheek.  
  
"I'm so sorry Jarod." She moved away from the bed and walked over to the dresser. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't left, hadn't gone to Blue Cove, then you............."  
  
Jarod unsteadily got to his feet, steadied himself, and went over to Lily. He turned her around. "For whatever reason you did what you had to do. The passion I saw in your eyes when you thought I was going to hurt that child was real. You were right, the Centre is evil." He put his arms around Lily and gave her a hug.  
  
Lily just stayed in that hug for a moment. It had been awhile since she had let anyone comfort her. And for some reason she felt a connection to this man that she had never seen before three days ago. She then pulled away and looked at Jarod. "All I can say is - I'm sorry and welcome to my world."  
  
**************  
  
Parker opened her eyes. The world around her was blurry. "What the hell happened to me?"  
  
"Now, now Miss Parker. Is that anyway to come back into the world of the living?"  
  
She could hear Jarod's voice, but the only semi-clear thing she could see was a nurse messing with her arm and a strange room she had never seen before.  
  
"Damn-it Jarod. I feel like a tank truck ran over me. I need a drink." Parker opened and closed her eyes a couple of times. Then her vision focused and she could see Jarod at the end of the bed she was lying on. Behind him was the woman Jarod had been arguing with.  
  
"Hello Miss Parker. Can we get you anything besides an alcoholic beverage?" Lily asked.  
  
"Oh I'm peachy keen Mary Sunshine." Parker tried to sit up.  
  
"Slowly." Jarod moved up closer to her, trying to help her. Holding her hand. "You've been sedated for three days. It's going to take a little bit for you to get your footing."  
  
"Three days! Who the hell knocked me out for........ You. You did this to me." Parker barked at Lily.  
  
"Miss Parker. I did not do this to you, the head of this facility did." Lily started to explain. "She was protecting Becky and I. She thought that you were going to harm us. I would like to welcome you to Angel's Hope."  
  
"Angel's Hope. What the hell is Angel's Hope? And are you the resident pain in the ass?" Parker lay back down, dizzy for the moment.  
  
"Parker!" Jarod snapped at her. "Don't make a bad situation worse."  
  
Lily shook off what Parker said. "It's a special place." Lily thought about what she was about to say. Whether she should or not. "We help those in trouble, do scientific research, and try to make the world a better place."  
  
"Oh great, I've been taken into the world of Goody Gum Drop Land." Miss Parker was getting increasingly angry. She hated not being in control.  
  
"We were founded by a very special woman who said that it was always her mission, her life's work, to help those in trouble. To fight the evils that she had seen corrupt this world. That woman was Catherine Parker."  
  
Both Miss Parker and Jarod were stunned. "My Mother", Parker caught her breath, "founded Angel's Hope?"  
  
"Yes, over forty years ago. She brought the original children here for sanctuary. They had been drugged and tortured. They were in really bad shape. Then periodically other people, her guardians, brought children here. Each group was categorized by a color. Blue, Green, Yellow. I'm not sure why. Becky and I were part of what they called the Red Files."  
  
"Red Files?" Jarod asked. "You have information on the Red Files?"  
  
"The only thing Joan ever told us was that the children of the Red Files had to do with the birth of twins. Special twins with remarkable gifts. We have the other girls here that were part of the Red Files. We are all twins. Becky and I, Renee and Cathy, Elizabeth and Nancy, and Kristen. "  
  
"What happened to Kristen's twin?" Jarod asked while Parker laid in bed in disbelief.  
  
"We never knew. We just knew that she was alone when she came." Lily looked at Miss Parker. "She was a wonderful person. Now that I can see you better, you look just like I remember her."  
  
"You knew my mother?" Parker asked.  
  
"Yes. She is the one who gave me to the guardian to come here."  
  
There was a knock on the door. The nurse came in. "I am here to help Miss Parker get freshened up and dressed. Dinner is at six o'clock."  
  
"We can help her do that ." Lily told the nurse as she moved closer to the bed.  
  
"No Miss Lily. Dr. Stedman requests that you and the gentleman join her in her office." The nurse pushed past Lily and waited for Jarod to move.  
  
Jarod looked at Parker and then at Lily. Parker waved her hand at Jarod. "Go. I can take care of myself."  
  
"Just knock on the door Miss Lily and the guards will escort you." The nurse informed Lily.  
  
Lily knocked on the door and the guard opened it. Lily and Jarod walked through the door. Jarod stopped before the door closed and looked at Parker. She was giving the nurse a hard time, saying something along the lines that she didn't need any help. Jarod smiled and proceeded to follow Lily.  
  
"Do you always have the lovely escort wherever you go?" Jarod asked below his breath.  
  
"Not usually. I have a feeling that Joan does not trust me anymore." Lily responded also under her breath.  
  
"Maybe it's that she doesn't trust me?" Jarod whispered back.  
  
"No. Then there would be only one guard." Lily looked behind her to see Larry and Fred keeping five paces behind them. They entered the elevator and they went to sub-level 4. Everyone got off and Lily proceeded to the right. This level looked much different than the level they had been previously on. There were offices and windows. Five offices down, Lily pointed to a door. "This is my office."  
  
"You have an office?" Jarod asked.  
  
They walked one door further. "Where else would I do my work?" Jarod looked sullen. "This was Catherine Parker's office. It has been kept the exact way she left it. Joan wouldn't have it any other way. They were very close." They went one more door down and Fred knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in." They heard from inside. Fred opened the door and allowed Lily and Jarod access to Joan Stedman's office. Joan was standing behind her desk. There were three chairs placed in front of the desk. "Please. Come have a seat." Joan motioned to the chairs. Lily took the chair to the right and Jarod took the one to the left. "I want to give you a better welcome than I did before. Sometimes work consumes me and I forget my manners."  
  
"It's all right Dr. Stedman. I understand that you are trying to protect what you have achieved here." Jarod surveyed the room. He saw that there was a door that led to what he assumed was Catherine Parker's office.  
  
"I want you to get acclimated to the surroundings. Fred will let you know areas that at this point you are not allowed access to and Lily can give you a tour. That is if you have decided to stay?" Joan looked questioningly at Jarod.  
  
"Yes, Dr. Stedman. I have decided to stay." Lily looked shocked.  
  
"Very good Jarod. I'm glad to have you on board." There was a knock on the door. "Come in." the door opened and Miss Parker pushed her way in. She was wearing a pair of shirt, jeans and walking shoes. "Welcome Miss Parker."  
  
"Will you please tell me who the hell picked out these damn clothes?" Jarod and Lily snickered. "And where that witch of a nurse took my clothes?"  
  
"The clothes you are wearing are general issue informal clothes worn here at Angel's Hope. You will find that your closets will have been stocked by the time you return to your rooms with whatever you will need during your stay here." Joan informed Parker and Jarod.  
  
"During my stay here? I'm not staying here lady. I just want to know how you know my Mother?" Parker barked at Joan.  
  
"Lily. Did you not explain the situation to Miss Parker?"  
  
Lily shook her head no. "I didn't have a chance to before the nurse came in."  
  
Joan motioned for Parker to have a seat. "We have a little dilemma here Miss Parker. You and Jarod are not supposed to be here. Your knowledge of this facility jeopardizes everything that I have worked for over the years."  
  
"You mean what my Mother worked for." Parker added. Joan looked at Lily.  
  
"I told her that her mother founded Angel's Hope. I didn't see any harm in it." Lily tried to explain.  
  
"Yes. Your Mother's vision is what I have been working on all these years. I have taken her dream and made it a fully functioning reality. But as I was saying, you and Jarod are not supposed to be here. Yet you are. And that leads us to the dilemma of what to do with you." Joan continued.  
  
"Dr. Stedman has offered us a choice Miss Parker. We can become a member of Angel's Hope; we follow their rules and never leave this facility again." Parker sat up in her chair and went to say something. Jarod put his hand up. "Wait till I'm finished." Parker threw herself back in the chair. "If we do not take her up on her offer, then we will go through a memory altering procedure and be placed back in the outside world. Unfortunately the procedure can have devastating results and leave us without our memory at all."  
  
"Forever. There can be no medical treatment to reverse the results." Joan got up from behind her desk, picked up a framed picture from her shelf, and walked over to the group. "And I offer you also Miss Parker something you have never had your whole life."  
  
"And what is that Dr. Stedman?" Parker coolly said.  
  
"I can give you the information you have craved your whole life. I can give you your Mother." Dr. Stedman turned the frame around and revealed a picture of Catherine Parker holding a baby standing in front of a statue of an angel. Next to her was granite sign that simply stated "Angel's Hope." 


	6. New Alliances

"Forever. There can be no medical treatment to reverse the results." Joan got up from behind her desk, picked up a framed picture from her shelf, and walked over to the group. "And I offer you also Miss Parker something you have never had your whole life."  
  
"And what is that Dr. Stedman?" Parker coolly said.  
  
"I can give you the information you have craved your whole life. I can give you your Mother." Dr. Stedman turned the frame around and revealed a picture of Catherine Parker holding a baby standing in front of a statue of an angel. Next to her was granite sign that simply stated "Angel's Hope."  
  
"That's me. She brought me here?" Miss Parker asked as she got up and took the picture from Joan.  
  
"Yes. When we first founded Angel's Hope, your mother would bring you with her. But as you got older, she was afraid that without knowing it you would tell your father where you had been. So she stopped bringing you."  
  
Parker ran her finger across her mother's picture. She had so few pictures of her mother, having a new one in her hand gave her joy.  
  
"At first we didn't have a name for the facility. We would just bring the children here and kept to ourselves. And then when you were about four years old, she came and said that her husband had inspired a name that she thought was appropriate. That's when she told me she wanted to call it Angel's Hope. She named it after you my dear."  
  
"Daddy," Parker choked on the word for a moment, "called me his Angel. But why hope?"  
  
"It was her hope to get you away from your father and the Centre." Joan began when Lily interrupted.  
  
"You knew the Centre existed and the people who ran it and never told me? Why all these years did you give us a nameless enemy?"  
  
"In your youth Lily, you would have run off and started an all scale war. By making it a faceless enemy you could be groomed without provocation. And by your actions the last few days, I was right."  
  
Lily looked down at the floor. "You know me too well."  
  
"By that time Catherine had started to find out more information on the origin and purpose of the Centre. She was recruiting more allies or as we called them, guardians, for our cause and that's when things started to get more dangerous. She had found out about a project called Prodigy."  
  
"The Red Files." Jarod stated frankly.  
  
"Yes Jarod, the Red Files. How do you know about them?" Joan asked with curiosity.  
  
"I" Jarod looked at Miss Parker, who had returned to her seat with the picture clutched to her chest. "I mean we learned of their existence while we searched for our pasts. I confiscated copies from the Centre and Miss Parker found copies on her father's desk. I learned that NuGenesis was monitoring eight children for the Centre. But now Lily has told us that there are more Red File children here."  
  
"Yes. Lily and Becky were part of the Prodigy project. There were many projects going on there."  
  
"But why were some children brought here and not all of them?" Parker asked.  
  
Just then there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Enter." Joan called.  
  
Becky stuck her head into the room. "Joan, dinner is ready."  
  
"Very good. Let's all get something to eat. I'm sure everyone can use a good hot meal." Joan came from behind the desk and headed for the door.  
  
"Dr. Stedman. What about my question?" Parker asked noticing that the good doctor had used the interruption to not answer her question.  
  
"Miss Parker there will be plenty of time for you to ask questions and get answers." Joan motioned for everyone to follow Becky out the door.  
  
Everyone got up out of his or her chairs. Lily approached her sister and gave her a hug. Jarod motioned for Miss Parker to proceed and he followed.  
  
"A gentleman. I like that Jarod." Joan said in a matriarchal way.  
  
Suddenly Jarod felt like a small child who had gotten the approval of his mother. He held the door for her as Dr. Stedman walked through. He took a quick look around the room again and spotted the door to Catherine Parker's office. For some reason he was drawn to that door. Suddenly he felt the arm of the guard on his shoulder.  
  
"Sir. The others are waiting." Larry was nudged Jarod's shoulder firmly.  
  
"Of course. Forgive me." Jarod responded trying to be as non-chalant as he could be.  
  
The group headed for the elevators and went to the private dining room.  
  
*************  
  
Broots had been working all day trying to get into Lyle's computer files. Mr. Lyle had instituted some sort of new firewall around his system that Broots' had had no knowledge of. He was angry that someone had introduced something into his system that he had no knowledge of. Especially when he needed to get to where the system protected. He had worked all day trying to get past it with no luck. He probably would have worked all night, but he had to pick up Debbie at school. She was the lead in the school's play and had stayed after school for rehearsals. He was so proud of her. Despite everything that had gone on in her life; her mother and Broots' crazy schedule, she was thriving and doing well in school.  
  
Debbie approached the car. "Hi Daddy!" She yelled through the open window. She opened the car door and got in. "How was your day?"  
  
"Fine honey. How was your rehearsal?" Broots took off in the direction of his home.  
  
Farther down the street, a black sedan pulled away from the curb one minute later.  
  
*************  
  
Sydney had tried to work with Angelo all day in his office. Angelo was nervous and jumpy. All he would say to Sydney was that Jarod was missing and with the angels. Broots had tried to locate the angel statue, but had been unsuccessful. That meant that the figure was custom made and would be harder to track that anticipated.  
  
Angelo was playing with a pen in his hand. "Others will be taken soon. Must find Jarod. Must find Jarod."  
  
Sydney approached Angelo. "Who Angelo? Who is going to be taken?"  
  
"A Princess. A precious Princess." Angelo was rocking on the floor still playing with the pen.  
  
"Angelo, may I see the pen in your hand?" Sydney asked putting out his hand. Angelo dropped the pen into Sydney's hand. Sydney looked at the pen and it had the initial's "RP" on them. He had seen the pen on Mr. Lyle's desk before and wondered about the initials. But that would have to be a mystery for another day. He handed the pen back to Angelo. "I think you better put this back before it is missed."  
  
Angelo grinned and headed out of Sydney's office.  
  
*************  
  
The private dining room was an elegant oak room with an ornate dining table in the center. Each chair looked as if it had been hand carved with the most delicate pictures of cherubs. There were shelves carved into the walls where fine china and knickknacks sat. Glasses hung over a small bar in the corner.  
  
"Please everyone," Joan motioned to the table, "take a seat."  
  
Joan moved to the chair at the head of the table. Lily and Becky took chairs on either side of Joan as if they had done this on many occasions. Jarod sat next to Lily and Miss Parker next to Jarod. The guards Larry and Fred sat next to Becky. Lily introduced Becky formerly to Jarod and Miss Parker. The meal of French onion soup, salad, beef bourguignon and vegetables was consumed while everyone made small talk. Dessert was carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.  
  
"Dr. Stedman, how many levels are there to this facility?" Jarod finally asked wanting to know about where he was.  
  
"There are 32 sublevels. Each level represents a function or research. Such as sublevel four is the office level. I will make sure that there is an office made available to both of you. Each office is stocked with supplies and research material. Please let Becky know if there is anything that you may still need."  
  
"That is a large facility to keep in obscurity. There are very few regions that could sustain that mass of a complex." Jarod stated trying again to locate their position.  
  
Joan laughed. "Good try Jarod. I promise. When I feel more confidant that I can trust you, then you will know exactly where you are. Until then, this location stays top secret." Joan turned to look at Lily. "And I mean top secret. No hints. No word games. They find out the location and I will separate all of you."  
  
Lily shook her head in agreement. Jarod looked disappointed. Parker grinned.  
  
" Lily. Why don't you take our guests on a tour of the facility? I'm sure they are curious about where they are going to live."  
  
Larry and Fred got up and waited for the group to head for the door. Fred opened the door as Lily, Jarod, Parker, and Becky walked through. Lily introduced Miss Parker to Morris, who would be her guard. Lily took them throughout the complex. The main laboratory looked like something out of NASA. The other levels were computer laboratories, conference rooms, living quarters, and classrooms. The group got off on sublevel 6.  
  
"This is my favorite level." Lily told Jarod as she escorted them further into the level. "On the right are our movie theater and the dance club."  
  
"A dance club in your facility?" Parker asked. "Is this a research facility or a teenybopper hangout?"  
  
Jarod gave her a stern look. "Be nice Miss Parker." Jarod mouthed.  
  
Lily sneered at Parker and continued. "On the left is the recreational area - ping-pong, air hockey, pinball machines. A whole arcade including skeeball, my favorite." Lily noticed that Jarod looked confused. "Jarod. You do know what skeeball is right?"  
  
"I'm sorry Lily. I haven't frequented too many arcades." Jarod responded peeking in through the glass door. "I worked for the circus once."  
  
At the end of the corridor there were two large glass doors. "Now this is my favorite place to think." Lily pushed open the door and showed Jarod and Miss Parker a huge arboretum. Trees, flowers, plants covered every inch of space. Boulders were scattered throughout the room as if they were chairs. Normal chairs and benches were also scattered throughout the room. When Parker looked up, she could see the clearest sky and stars. Tons of stars.  
  
"This was your mother's idea Miss Parker." Becky told her. They moved off to one of the benches to discuss the idea. Parker relished getting information about her mother.  
  
Jarod and Lily moved off to a corner of the room. Lily sat on a boulder with her knees folded. Jarod sat on the grass. "So this facility is built into the side of a mountain." Lily smiled. "I can see through the overhead panels."  
  
Lily looked at Jarod. "Tell me about the Centre. How did you find out about them?"  
  
Jarod looked up at the stars. "I was taken from my parents when I was young and brought to the Centre."  
  
Lily felt a shiver rush up her spine. "You lived there? But we were told that horrible things went on there........." Lily looked at Jarod and stopped talking as she realized what she just said. Solemnly, "What was it like?"  
  
"I went to a psychiatrist once. I explained the Centre as this. Think hell with nicer furniture. There are no windows, no unlocked doors, no light, no hope. They take all that away. They decided what I ate, when I slept, who I saw. They decided everything I did. And I was never allowed to know anything about who I was. They made my life a living hell."  
  
Lily sat in shock. "I'm so sorry Jarod. And I thought I had it bad here. But nothing like that."  
  
"What was it like here growing up?"  
  
"We have windows and light. We have friends and activities. Our work is geared toward helping humanity." Lily looked off into the foliage.  
  
"But......" Jarod could tell something else about Angel's Hope bothered her.  
  
"Like you the doors are always locked. Not the ones to my room, like now. But we were hardly allowed above sublevel 4 unchaperoned. When we were older we were allowed to leave to attend a play or opera. But everywhere we went, whether out or here, there was always someone watching us. If it wasn't physically, then with the cameras." She pointed to one in the far corner of the room. "How I longed for just a few moments of being alone." Lily moved off the rock and onto the grass with Jarod.  
  
Jarod added remembering his session with Dr Goetz. "They had eyes in every ceiling, every wall, they never blinked. They were always on me. Every minute, every hour, every day of my life."  
  
"Every day of my life." Lily said simultaneously. She moved closer to Jarod. "You understand, don't you? I think I left this week not only to fulfill what I thought was my destiny, but also to just have two minutes of not being watched. I've been told it is my destiny to do this and that. Learn this, cure that, being told what to do every day of my life. But never given any time to be......." She looked into Jarod's eyes. "Why Jarod? Why did they do this to you?"  
  
"I worked on simulations that they later took and used to hurt people. They made me into a, I mean I'm a Pretender. I can become anyone I want to be. A doctor, lawyer, police officer. Anything I want to be."  
  
"Except I don't know who I am." Lily finished looking at Jarod.  
  
Jarod shook his head in agreement. "Except I don't know who I am." Suddenly feeling an eerie bond form.  
  
Lily felt the need and did hug Jarod.  
  
"How is it that we know exactly how the other feels?" Jarod questioned.  
  
"Because we shared similar experiences I suppose. Kindred spirits." Lily laid her head on his shoulder.  
  
Parker, in the midst of hearing a story about her mother's favorite tree, turned just in time to see Lily in Jarod's arms. 


	7. Hidden Truths

Parker, in the midst of hearing a story about her mother's favorite tree, turned just in time to see Lily in Jarod's arms. Anger swelled inside and she abruptly left Becky in mid sentence and moved over to the duo.  
  
"Sharing shop secrets?" Parker snapped.  
  
Lily looked embarrassed, as she backed away from Jarod and once again sat on the grass. She didn't know why she felt embarrassed when she knew that she hadn't done anything wrong.  
  
"We were discussing the Centre Miss Parker." Jarod said as he smiled at her.  
  
"Yeah, looked like it." She retorted.  
  
Jarod turned back to Lily and decided to speak frankly. "You know I can't stay here indefinitely."  
  
"Well you're not the hell going to leave me here." Parker added pushing herself between Jarod and Lily. She tried every which way to sit down without actually having to touch the grass.  
  
"I know. You're going to have to be careful. I'm sure Joan is also expecting the same thing and she will carry out her threat Jarod. Angel's Hope is everything to her. It has been her whole life. If you try to escape, I won't be able to help you."  
  
"I know." Jarod responded. "There is one thing that perplexes me. Why has she kept Catherine Parker's office the same as the day she left? She obviously knew Mrs. Parker was dead. Why keep the office that way?" He looked at Parker who had lowered her head, saddened by the mention of her mother's death.  
  
"I assumed it was as homage to a great woman." Lily pondered.  
  
"Lily, I have to ask you something. I know I should not ask you to do this. Can you get me into Catherine Parker's office?"  
  
*************  
  
Debbie was on her way to school. She was walking with her friends chatting about boys, what the boys were doing, and how to meet a particular boy. She had a huge crush on the boy who was playing the Prince to her Cinderella.  
  
A car parked in front of the Broots' house proceeded to follow Debbie by half a block. When she reached the school he drove past the school and parked the car. The driver took out a notebook and made notes.  
  
"Debbie Broots - arrived 8:15. Accompanied by three companions. Note - must review class schedule."  
  
The driver started the car, drove down the street, and got lost in traffic.  
  
************  
  
Lily escorted Miss Parker and Jarod to their rooms. She went to her own room and lay on the bed. She had allot to think about. She had already broken Joan's trust once. If she did it again, Lily knew she would never be trusted again. But Jarod thought that there were answers to their questions in that office. And she agreed. Something wasn't right and they had to find out what it was. Lily dropped off into an unrestful sleep.  
  
The next morning Lily got up and got dressed. Instead of going to breakfast, she proceeded to her office. She went and sat at her desk, moving the papers around but not doing anything. She periodically looked at the door in her office that connected it to Catherine Parker's office. She was looking at it when there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Lily called out.  
  
Jarod stuck his head in the door. "Good morning. We missed you at breakfast. Can we come in?"  
  
"Sure. Come on in." Lily smiled.  
  
Jarod came through the door followed by Miss Parker. "I brought you a muffin. Chocolate chocolate chip, your favorite according to Becky. I thought that maybe you might be hungry since you missed breakfast." Jarod brought the muffin over and placed it next to Lily.  
  
"Not very hungry Jarod. Thanks anyway." She pushed it away.  
  
"I would take it. He's the defender of the weak and abused. If you don't eat it, you may have to suffer his wrath. Believe me - you don't want his wrath." Parker said as she sat herself in one of the office chairs.  
  
"I know that you are upset about what we talked about last night, but we have to find out what the secrets are." Jarod looked at Lily with longing eyes. He had been looking for the truth for so long.  
  
"The Centre was built on secret and lies. Afraid we'll find the same thing here?" Parker added smugly.  
  
Lily looked at Parker. "This institution was not founded in lies, but something tells me that there are secrets. Though I don't think that they are secrets that would hurt people. Joan just wouldn't do that."  
  
"Listen Tinker bell. Anyone is capable of anything to preserve their way of life. She ain't no saint, so never say never." Parker was in rare form this morning. Especially since she had been thinking all night about how the two of them had been hugging last night.  
  
"Was Joan at breakfast with you?" Lily asked moving from behind her desk.  
  
"Yes. She said that she was going to the children's lab to judge a science fair." Jarod responded.  
  
"Good. I think we may have some time before Joan comes back to her office." Lily said as she walked over to the door of Catherine Parker's office. "It's locked."  
  
"No problem." Jarod had that grin on his face that always occurred when he was planning something. He went over to Lily's desk. "Do you mind?" He asked as he motioned to her desk drawer. Lily shook her head that it was OK and Jarod opened the drawer. He shuffled through its contents and came upon some items he could use. He then proceeded to the door..  
  
"What are you going to do?" Lily asked.  
  
"I was a safe cracker once. Same principle." Jarod took the long piece of metal and started to maneuver it in the locking mechanism. In a few minutes the lock clicked.  
  
"Good going Boy Genius." Parker said as she got up out of the chair and followed Jarod into the room. "I love it when a plan comes together."  
  
The three entered the dark office of Catherine Parker. Miss Parker immediately started hearing the voices she had grown use to hearing over the past two years. Especially that of her mother. The trio moved to different parts of the room. Lily went to the large oak desk that sat at the farthest end of the room. Jarod was looking at the bookshelves that lined the one wall of the office. Miss Parker was looking at the wall opposite Jarod. Tears welled up in her eyes as she viewed the numerous pictures that covered the wall. In the middle of all the pictures was a portrait. It was an exquisitely painted picture of Catherine Parker holding Miss Parker as a baby on her lap.  
  
"Your mother was a beautiful woman." Jarod noted as he came up behind Parker and put his hands gently on the rounds of her shoulders. "Just like her daughter."  
  
Parker half smiled as she moved from under Jarod's hands. "She was never allowed to have many pictures in our house. Daddy didn't like it." She said as she touched delicately the portrait. Another picture caught her eye. "Here's a picture of my mother and her sister. I guess she hung the pictures here so that she could still treasure them."  
  
"Remembrances of a life she left behind when she married your father and joined the life of the Centre." Jarod added.  
  
Sitting at the desk, Lily tried to bring back her memories of Catherine Parker. "I remember her letting me sit at this desk. I couldn't have been more than five or six. When she brought me here, I always felt safe."  
  
Jarod looked puzzled. "Lily. If life here were ideal, then why would you have a recollection of having to feel safe?"  
  
Lily looked at Jarod and Parker. "I don't.... know. I just remember that I was safe here, with her. I don't know why."  
  
Jarod looked at the bookcase. "I'm going to go through over here. There may be something here in the bookcase. Parker, you and Lily go through your mother's desk."  
  
Parker went over to the desk after looking at the portrait one more time. She opened the left-hand drawers. There was a row of files. She started pulling files out and skimming through them. Lily was doing the same thing on the right side.  
  
"What are we looking for Jarod?" Lily asked not really sure what she was looking for.  
  
"I don't know. Something to do with the red files. Prodigy. Mirage. I'm not sure."  
  
"Mirage?" Lily asked.  
  
"In the last year of her life, my mother was impregnated by Mr. Raines with Jarod's father's sperm. The result was our brother Ethan. It was the reason she was killed."  
  
Lily felt sick to her stomach. "What kind of man is Raines that he could do that to somebody as wonderful as Mrs. Parker?"  
  
Parker looked up from the files and felt a lump in her throat. "A monster." And she thought, "That monster is my father."  
  
Lily pulled out a file and began to read. "Jarod, come here." Jarod came over and looked over Lily's shoulder. "A list of children and dates." Parker came over and looked at the list.  
  
"So many names. How long had my mother been bringing children here Lily?" Parker asked shocked that the dates ranged back before her birth.  
  
"I know that there were children brought here that were older than me. Some of them were so bad, that they didn't survive past their early teen years. Others into their twenties. Some are still here in a catatonic state.  
  
Jarod took the file from Lily and started looking at the papers behind the list. "Look at these. Copies of death certificates."  
  
Lily looked at the names on the certificates. "Wait. That can't be right. Cecelia Barnes is still alive. She's one of the catatonic= patients I was telling you about."  
  
"Why would my mother have death certificates for children that were alive?" Parker looked puzzled.  
  
"Because that's how she got the children out of the Centre." Jarod looked at Parker with a gleam in his eyes. "She faked their deaths so Raines wouldn't look for them."  
  
"The guardians. They must have been helping her get them out. Shuttling them here." Lily added and then grabbed the file back out of Jarod's hands. She started thumbing through all the certificates. After about twenty five of them she stopped. "Well it's official."  
  
Jarod looked at her inquisitively. "What's official?"  
  
"I'm a ghost." Lily held up the certificate with her name on it. "I'm Lily Davidson and I'm dead." She let the certificate fall slightly forward. "My last name is Davidson. I never knew my last name before."  
  
Jarod put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed. "Congratulations." Parker's eyes narrowed as she witnessed this show of affection. "Yeah, we'll throw you a ticker tape parade."  
  
Lily was smiling. "I wonder where Becky's is?" She started thumbing through the next few certificates when the smile faded from her face. "Wait. This can't be right."  
  
"What's wrong Lily?" Jarod asked.  
  
"Becky's certificate has a different last name." Lily showed Jarod and Parker the certificate that stated the name Rebecca Prescott. "We are twins. Why would Becky have a different last name?"  
  
Jarod knelt down and started going through the rest of the files. "Lily, where did you pull that one from?" Lily pointed to where she had pulled the file. Jarod looked at the next file. "This is why." Jarod showed Lily and Parker the contents of the next folder. "Adoption certificates."  
  
"I was adopted?" Lily looked confused.  
  
"Lily. Do you remember anything before coming to Angel's Hope?" Jarod asked trying to piece the puzzle together.  
  
"I remember..........I........" Lily was thinking. She looked up at Jarod with fear in her eyes. "Jarod, why don't I remember? I was only four years old; I should have memories of before I came here. The first thing I remember is being brought to my guardian, Jacob, by Mrs. Parker."  
  
"Jacob. You're guardians name was Jacob?" Jarod asked looking at Parker.  
  
"What? Why are you saying it like that?" Lily looked at the two of them.  
  
"The man who raised me at the Centre was named Sydney. His twin brother was named Jacob and he was hurt by the Centre for betraying them." Jarod had that look like he was in deep concentration. "Ties Miss Parker. We're finding ties that bind."  
  
"Lily, keep looking over there. I'll keep looking over here." Parker said as she started going through the drawer again. Jarod looked at the first list of children.  
  
"Oh no." Jarod hit the file against his leg.  
  
"What Jarod? What did you find?" Parker asked going back over by him.  
  
"Here are our names." Jarod pointed them out.  
  
"As is Angelo's, Lyle's, Alex, the rest of the red files. So what Jarod?" Parker looked confused.  
  
"Parker. Look above our names." Jarod pointed to the previous names.  
  
"Get out of here." Parker said as she took the file from Jarod. "Can't be. Not the lovable moron."  
  
"Broots, Miss Parker. He's part of the children of the Centre." Jarod confirmed.  
  
"Who's Broots?" Lily asked. "Is he someone important?"  
  
"He's important to me." Parker stated.  
  
"He works for the Centre Lily and is a very nice man." Jarod explained.  
  
"Is he your boyfriend Miss Parker?" Lily asked innocently. Both Parker and Jarod laughed.  
  
"No. He's more like a brother. He runs the Computer Science department for the Centre." Parker explained.  
  
The trio continued looking through these files, but didn't find anything else of significance. Jarod thought, he knew they were running out of time. "If you had really important papers that no one else should see, where would you put them?"  
  
"In a secure location." Parker added. "In a safe?"  
  
"In a safe." Jarod looked around the room. He moved to the portrait of Catherine Parker and Miss Parker. He felt around the picture. By now Lily and Parker had joined him. He found a small button on the side of the frame. He pushed it and the picture swung open. "A safe."  
  
The three looked at the safe. It was a square safe with a small screen next to it with a keypad underneath. "What kind of lock is that?" Parker asked.  
  
"A computer generated lock." Jarod pushed some buttons and the screen came to life.  
  
"Please enter the password phrase" appeared on the screen.  
  
"Password phrase. How the hell are we suppose to know the damn phrase?" Parker said frustrated.  
  
"There's one person who might have been in the room when the phrase was used." Jarod said looking at Parker. Parker smiled and they both looked at Lily.  
  
"I don't know what the phrase is." Lily responded feeling like a mouse being looked over by a pair of cats.  
  
"Lily there's a possibility that you may have heard it as a child and not even now you heard it." Jarod stated.  
  
"So how does that help us now?" Lily looked at Jarod puzzled.  
  
"Lily, let me hypnotize you and see if you know the phrase." Jarod proposed.  
  
"You know how to do that?" Lily asked cautiously.  
  
"Yes. Will you allow me to do it?" Jarod took Lily's hand. "I promise you will not be harmed and I will make sure you remember whatever we find out."  
  
Lily looked at Jarod and Parker. "OK."  
  
Jarod sat Lily in the office chair and took a crystal that hung on a chain he had found in Catherine Parker's desk as the focus point. He swung the crystal in front of Lily until he had her in a relaxed hypnotic state. "Lily. Go back. Go back to when you were a small girl." Lily's face showed signs of distress. "Lily what do you see?"  
  
"Men. Men coming to take me away. I try to scream for my mommy and daddy, but.....Their there. They know the men are going to take me. NO. NO MOMMY. I don't want to go. Please."  
  
"Lily, it's OK. The men are gone. Where are you know?" Jarod asked.  
  
"A big house. Lots of tubes and needles. I'm afraid of the needles. Dr. Jacob says to stay quiet. He's going to help me."  
  
"OK Lily. Let's go forward a little. You're at Angel's Hope now. In Catherine Parker's office. What do you see?" Jarod prodded.  
  
"Mrs. Parker. She smells so sweet. She's telling me a nursery rhyme. Every time I come into her office she tells it to me. She says never to forget it." Lily was smiling as she spoke.  
  
"Lily, what is the rhyme that she is telling you?" Jarod asked anxious to see if it worked.  
  
"Cree Craw Toads Foot" Lily started singing.  
  
"Geese Walk Bare Foot." Both Lily and Jarod sang at the same time.  
  
Jarod looked at Parker with wide eyes. "Lily, when I count to three you will wake up feeling refreshed and remember everything. One. Two. Three." Lily blinked her eyes. Jarod turned to the computer keypad and typed in "Cree Craw Toad's Foot, Geese Walk Bare Foot."  
  
The safe lock clicked open.  
  
So if you made it this far, how about some feedback? 


	8. Reflections

"Ms. Parker. She smells so sweet. She's telling me a nursery rhyme. Every time I come into her office she tells it to me. She says never to forget it." Lily was smiling as she spoke.  
  
"Lily, what is the rhyme that she is telling you?" Jarod asked anxious to see if it worked.  
  
"Cree Craw Toads Foot" Lily started singing.  
  
"Geese Walk Bare Foot." Both Lily and Jarod sang at the same time.  
  
Jarod looked at Parker with wide eyes. "Lily, when I count to three you will wake up feeling refreshed and remember everything. One. Two. Three." Lily blinked her eyes. Jarod turned to the computer keypad and typed in "Cree Craw Toads Foot, Geese Walk Bare Foot."  
  
The safe lock clicked open. Jarod opened the door and peered inside. There were numerous files, DSA's, and other papers inside. He started pulling the items out and handing them to Parker and Lily.  
  
"Everyone start reading something." Lily said as she started shuffling her papers around on the floor with Parker followed suit. "I don't think we'll have much time left. I can't believe the hypnosis thing worked. And what's with that saying.." Lily looked up at Jarod. His expression was that of fright and concern. "What's wrong?"  
  
Parker looked up from the papers she was deciding to read. "What is it Jarod?" She knew that look and it meant that something was wrong. She got up off the floor and went to take the files from Jarod.  
  
Jarod held onto them with his full strength. "No Parker."  
  
Parker came around him and looked over his arm at the first paper in one the files. "No." She looked at the page again. "That sick son of a bitch."  
  
"What? What did you find?" Lily asked concerned by both of their reactions.  
  
Jarod started looking through the rest of the files. His face showed so much emotion that it was hard for anyone to tell what he was reading. "He couldn't have done this!" Jarod slammed the files onto the floor.  
  
Parker immediately picked the one up that upset Jarod and kept reading. Her face sank as she read the contents. "They've done it again Jarod. Taken another member of your family."  
  
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Lily demanded.  
  
"Jarod? Should I?" Parker asked going behind Jarod and placing her hand on his shoulder, knowing the pain he was going through.  
  
"I'm so sorry Lily. Maybe Dr. Stedman was right. You shouldn't have looked for answers. Parker and I should have come in here by ourselves."  
  
"Jarod. What is in those files?" Lily asked now angry that they did not want to share their findings.  
  
Jarod motioned to Parker to hand her the first file. Lily grabbed it and started to read it. Her face turned from anger to pure white. Jarod could see as she continued to read she looked as if she were going to fall over. "Lily." He went over and escorted her over to the chair.  
  
Lily grabbed the rest of the files Jarod had on the floor and put them on the desk. She studied the first file more closely. "When you said that Raines was a monster, that was an understatement. How could that man think he could play God? How could he accomplish this without anyone knowing?"  
  
"Lily. We found out a while ago about a place called NuGenesis, a fertilization clinic. Couples went there when they were having trouble conceiving. It's obvious that Raines was performing more than invitro fertilization procedures." Parker explained.  
  
"But to perform genetic sequencing on embryos is beyond contempt. And then placing them with unsuspecting mothers. What was he trying to accomplish?" Lily was sick to her stomach.  
  
"Natural Pretenders." Jarod said his head lowered. He had just read the remaining files he had picked up off the desk.  
  
"But why twins. Each couple was placed with a twin." Lily continued to try and reason it out in her head.  
  
"A redundant system." Parker reasoned. "Two of each sequence to make sure it worked." She was also disgusted. She laughed out of nervousness. "I guess that makes me as much of a lab rat as you Jarod. Jarod? You've found something else?"  
  
Jarod looked at Lily. "There's more Lily. When Catherine Parker was pregnant with Miss Parker she actually had twins. One boy, one girl. He told her that the boy had died at birth. The files indicate that they did this with each of the twins. One stayed with the natural parent and one went with a foster parent."  
  
"So either Becky or Lily were sent to the foster parent. That's why Becky and Lily have different last names on the certificates." Parker surmised.  
  
Jarod's face was still saddened. "Lily the papers, uh, they say......."  
  
"What's wrong Jarod?" Lily was looking into the soft brown eyes and saw pain. "Tell me Jarod, please."  
  
"The papers say that the twins that were implanted were fraternal twins. Male and female embryos." He looked sadly into her soft brown eyes with his soft brown eyes.  
  
"But Jarod that's impossible. Becky and I are..........." Tears welled up in her eyes as the realization of what Jarod was saying sunk in.  
  
"Not sisters." The trio turned around to see Joan Stedman standing in the doorway and looking very angry.  
  
*****************  
  
Broots was working on his computer when Debbie came up behind him.  
  
"What are you working on Daddy?" Debbie asked trying to peek over his shoulder.  
  
"Work honey." Broots hit the button so the secure screensaver would come on. "That's all. Nothing to concern yourself with."  
  
"Daddy, can you please help me run my lines? The rehearsals are two times a week and the dress rehearsal is in four weeks and I need to practice."  
  
Broots shook his head. "Of course honey. What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Can you please take this script and run lines with me. I also have to learn to ballroom dance. Here, you be the Prince."  
  
"I don't know Debbie. I'm not very good at dancing."  
  
"Then we'll learn together Dad. Here I'll curtsey and then you put your arm out. Then I'll move in and take you hand and then we step like this the teacher said."  
  
The next thing Broots and Debbie were ballroom dancing around the computer room. Broots twirled Debbie around and around. They were laughing and having the time of their lives.  
  
A man sat in the car outside the Broots home and watched them through binoculars in silence. He took out his notebook and wrote some notations down.  
  
******************  
  
"No. You told me that we were sisters." Lily shot up out of the chair and approached Joan.  
  
"For all intense purposes you are. I told you that everyone here were brothers and sisters to each other." Joan tried to explain.  
  
"Just not biologically." Lily was face to face. Her anger permeated from her. "How could you do that? Make us believe that we were sisters."  
  
"Emotionally you are sisters. In every sense of the word, except biologically." Lily looked like she could scream, but just turned from Joan tears streaming down her cheeks. "You were so in need of having a family connection. And you and Becky came here together." Joan tried to put her hands on Lily's shoulders, but she rigidly pulled away. "We thought it best that you and Becky believe you were sisters. It gave each of you the support system that you needed."  
  
"Do you know who my twin sister is?" Jarod expressed the words that had welled up inside him.  
  
"You haven't gone through the rest of the files have you?" The doctor asked.  
  
"No. We began with this file." Parker answered referring to the file they had first started reading.  
  
Joan walked over to the stack of files and pushed several of them with her fingers until she found the one she was looking for. "If you all want to know everything, then this is the file you want."  
  
Jarod approached and took the file. He opened it and started reading. After several minutes, he looked up. "You knew who she was? You knew the whole time I was here? "  
  
Dr. Stedman's silence answered Jarod's question.  
  
Parker and Lily approached Jarod. "Let me see that." Lily demanded trying to grab the file. She began to read the names of the twins and whom they had been placed with. She quickly viewed the names and found what she had been looking for. Jarod's name had: Father - Charles, Mother - Margaret. Sibling's name - Lily. Placed with Albert and Peggy Davidson. Lily looked up at Jarod and swallowed hard. "You're my brother."  
  
Jarod looked at Lily and produced a big smile. "You're my twin sister."  
  
Parker looked at bother of them. "The two of you." She secretly smiled inside.  
  
Anger filled Lily. She wiped around to Joan. "You knew. You knew all this time and didn't say a word. You lied to me my whole life!" Lily wiped the tears from her face while her anger continued building. "You betrayed me."  
  
Jarod's smile faded, as he didn't understand Lily's anger since he was experiencing the joy of finding another sister.  
  
"Listen here Missy. I'm not the one who started this. And don't turn this around. This wouldn't be happening if you'd stayed where you were suppose to. You know the rules. Instead, you're going into places that are restricted and not for your eyes. So now you know."  
  
Jarod interjected. "It's my fault Dr. Stedman. I asked her to give us access to the room. Miss Parker and I have been searching for the truth for so long, we never realized that it would hurt anyone else."  
  
"Jarod, she is a grown woman and she knew perfectly well what she was doing." Joan turned back to Lily. "What am I suppose to do Lily? Put a personal guard in the room with you at all times. I thought we had some sort of trust going on......" Joan looked at Lily who had turned around and gone over to the bookcase. She was leaned over as if she were pushing the bookshelves. "Lily? Lily?"  
  
Miss Parker and Jarod turned to look at Lily. There was a look of fire and anger on her face. Jarod had seen this look before in both Kyle and Alex. "I am sick and tired of being your little pawn." Lily spun around. "Who the hell do you think you are to keep the fact that Becky is not my real sister from me!" Just then Lily looked past Joan at the doorway.  
  
Becky was standing there holding some paperwork in her hands. "What do you mean you're not my sister?" She looked around the room at the other's faces and knew that what Lily had said was true.  
  
"Becky." Lily said exasperated.  
  
Becky, looking rather shocked and confused, walked a little further into the office while trying to make sense of what was going on. "Why are you all in Catherine Parker's office? Why would you not be my sister?"  
  
"We found evidence that the Centre manipulated the Prodigy children's genetics Becky. The children were twins, but male/female." Jarod explained with concern for yet another victim of the Centre.  
  
Tears swelled in her eyes. "I don't want to know. I don't believe you! You just come here and expect that I'm going to trust anything you say. I'm getting out of here." Becky backed out of the office and ran through Lily's office.  
  
"Becky!" Lily began to run after her. "See what you've done." She hissed out as she passed Joan.  
  
"Ladies!" Joan called after them, but they were gone.  
  
*****************  
  
Mr. Raines walked into Lyle's office madder than the Mad Hatter. "What is the progress on the Miss Parker and Jarod search? When I put you in charge of this pursuit, I thought you could cut the mustard. Maybe I was wrong." Raines wheezed.  
  
Lyle looked at Raines and was going to make a snide remark, but decided to use decorum. "I can handle any job you give me. I got the preliminary report from the scene. They have confirmed there was some sort of struggle and sister dear did not come ahead."  
  
"Jarod abducted her?" Raines asked.  
  
"No. They don't think so. There was another set of tracks. And then a large amount of tracks to where they found the tire marks to a van. And it looks like there were people carried from the site. The conclusion is that someone has both Miss Parker and Jarod."  
  
"But have you made any progress then determining who took my Pretender? Two people don't just fall off the face of the Earth Lyle." Raines was impatient and curt.  
  
"I'll find them. We're going to the airport to follow a lead on the van." Lyle retorted growing impatient with the old man.  
  
"Take Angelo with you. He may be able to pick up something that may help. Take Sydney too. He can control Angelo." Raines headed for the door.  
  
"Why don't I just take Broots too and we can have a picnic." Lyle hated Angelo with a passion.  
  
"Don't push me boy." Raines wheezed without turning around and reaching the door. "People have a tendancy to disappear for no reason here. Or take trips to the Renewal Wing." He proceeded through the door and disappeared down the hall.  
  
"You can also be a dead man, for real, old man." Lyle threatened.  
  
*****************  
  
Becky had run to the elevator and got on, while Lily struggled to get past the guards. Lily sucker punched one man in the stomach and right crossed another across the face. The third went to pull his weapon and she flip kicked him squarely in the jaw. All three laid on the floor unconscious. She grabbed the guard's weapon and swipe card. She tucked the gun in the back band of her pants and under her shirt. She proceeded to the elevator and waited for the doors to open. Lily swiped the card and pushed the button. She knew where Becky was going and got off on sub level 6. She went to the music club. It's where Becky always went when she was upset. To play the piano and forget. Lily slammed open the door. "Why did you run away from me!" Lily yelled.  
  
Becky was playing feverously. Concentrating on every note. Tears streaming down her cheeks. Then all of a sudden she slammed on the keys. "All my life we have been together. Through thick and thin. But THEY come and I don't exist. Then I walk in and find out you're breaking into places and finding out information - and you don't include me, I don't exist. Then I find out not only don't I exist, I'm not your sister. Do you think I have reason to be upset!"  
  
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I wanted to know the truth." Lily was yelling louder and louder. She was pacing around and was starting to hold her head as if she had a headache. "I wanted answers. I wanted TO KNOW WHO I AM!"  
  
Becky looked at Lily. "Why are you screaming?" Her anger turned to concern. "Lily what's wrong?"  
  
Lily was growing angrier and angrier. "I'm going to kill Raines. That's it."  
  
Suddenly the alarms started to sound. "Yellow alert? Why are we on yellow alert?"  
  
"Damn her. Damn this place." She punched the piano and headed for the elevator. Lily tried to push the button, but it wouldn't activate.  
  
"Lily the elevator is locked down. We're on yellow alert." Lily slammed her fists and then her shoulder into the elevator doors. "Lily, what have you done?"  
  
"I knocked out those stupid guards who were following us. They were really starting to annoy me." She started looking around. "I've got to get to level 1." She was pacing. Lily folded over in pain, holding her temples.  
  
"What's wrong?" Becky was trying to help, but Lily pushed her back.  
  
"Get away from me." She ran down the hallway to the arboretum. "Just leave me the hell alone!" Lily closed the door and pulled the lock plate off, rearranging the wiring.  
  
Becky tried to unlock the door, but couldn't get the keypad to work. She turned at the sound of the elevator. Off walked Dr. Stedman, Jarod, Miss Parker, and the guards that Lily knocked out. "Where is she?" Stedman demanded.  
  
"She's in here. She's locked herself in and recoded the lock. I can't get it open. She's crazed. Something about having to get out of here and kill Raines."  
  
"This is what I was afraid of." Stedman stated as she and Becky tried to open the lock.  
  
Jarod peered through the glass trying to find Lily. He finally spotted her at the far end of the room, on a boulder with her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth. He put his forehead and hand up on the glass. "Lily." 


	9. Aftermath

She's in there. She's locked herself in and recoded the lock. I can't get it open. She's crazed. Something about having to get out of here and kill Raines."  
  
"This is what I was afraid of." Stedman stated as she and Becky tried to open the lock.  
  
Jarod peered through the glass trying to find Lily. He finally spotted her at the far end of the room, on a boulder with her knees to her chest, and rocking back and forth. He put his forehead and hand up on the glass. "Lily."  
  
Parker came up behind Jarod and tenderly placed her hands around his shoulders. "We'll get in there. She'll be OK. She's a tough lady; she's put up with me."  
  
Jarod picked his head up off the glass and had a weird look on his face. "What is going on in there? The glass is vibrating."  
  
"Whenever Lily gets extremely upset, she plays really loud music. Deafening." Becky tried to explain peering through the glass.  
  
Dr. Stedman picked up her cell phone and walked away from the group slightly ordering whoever was on the other end to get down there and to bring the kit. After snapping the phone shut, she turned to Jarod, Parker and Becky. "Becky. Mark is coming with a kit. Can you please go meet him at the elevator and make sure he can access the floor?"  
  
Becky looked at Joan sternly. "If you wanted me to leave, you just had to ask."  
  
Joan inhaled and exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry Becky. Yes, I need to speak to Jarod and Miss Parker alone. Can you please excuse us?" Her attempt at subtly hadn't worked.  
  
"Certainly, but if it's something I need to know about Lily you'll tell me right?"  
  
"You may not want to know what I have to tell them. But yes, if you really want to know, I will tell you. Just not now. Let's get through this crisis first and then you and I will talk."  
  
Becky nodded and headed for the elevator.  
  
"Ok. What was so bad that you couldn't say it in front of Becky?" Jarod asked knowing that it wasn't going to be pleasant.  
  
"Jarod there are certain aspects about Lily and the others coming to Angel's Hope that are complicated. Has Lily told you anything about how she came here?" Stedman questioned.  
  
"She said that she was brought here when she was four by a guardian. That she was saved by Catherine Parker. What does that have to do with what's happening now?" Jarod asked looking through the glass again and seeing that Lily just seemed to be rocking to the music playing.  
  
"In certain circumstances we had to bring the children here and send them to the Re-adjustification Wing. They were so traumatized by what had been done to them that we had to help them to forget or just house the children that couldn't respond to treatment."  
  
"What does that have to do with Lily? She said that when she was four she came here and had everything she ever needed." Jarod was getting impatient.  
  
"Jarod. I'm not sure what started this episode. But Lily doesn't remember exactly what her childhood was like. She didn't come here when she was four, she came when she was six and a half. At four she was taken to the Centre and charged to Dr. Raines. Catherine Parker found out that he had labeled her for experiment failure and termination. She faked her death and brought her here."  
  
Parker and Jarod looked at Joan in shock. Jarod looked at Dr. Stedman. "Two and a half years. What did he do to her and why doesn't she remember?"  
  
"I think you already know what he was doing Jarod. You've been learning more and more about the Centre. All I know is that it was a combination of drugs and subliminal messaging in music. Messages in the music played at loud decibels. He was trying to break her, but even at that age she fought him."  
  
"He was trying to destroy her mind." Parker said looking at the figure of Lily.  
  
"He was trying to destroy her soul." Added Jarod, his heart breaking at remembering what Kyle had told him. The tearing down of his personality and his humanity. And the look he had seen in Alex's face, the coldness and lack of emotion. "I hypnotized her in Catherine Parker's office to see if she had the combination to the safe. Is that what triggered this?"  
  
"It may have started a ripple that flooded the dam gate we put in place. We have tried to funnel the negative emotions into activities that would release them. The study of martial arts, weaponry, the imagery of an enemy that had no face but she could work towards conquering and defeating. I need to get in there."  
  
Jarod knew that they were playing against time when it came to Lily's sanity, so he removed the keypad covering and started to re-work the wiring. Becky came up from behind with a man wearing a white lab coat and a black bag. Dr. Stedman took the bag and started ruffling through it.  
  
The young man went to the glass and placed his hand up on it. "How bad is the situation Joan?"  
  
"Not good Mark. I'll know more when I can get in there and evaluate her." She took out a hypodermic and measured a certain amount of drug into the syringe. She put it in her pocket.  
  
"Got it." Jarod turned to see Dr. Stedman going to go through the door with a pair of what looked like airport technician earphones. Jarod grabbed her arm. "I'm going with you."  
  
"Jarod, I don't know if this is safe. I don't know what state she's in. She is classified as a deadly weapon."  
  
"She's my sister and I'm going." Jarod was not going to let another member of his family be destroyed by the Centre.  
  
"Then you're going to need these to even hear yourself think." Stedman handed Jarod a pair of the headphones. "They filter the noise so that you can hear what is being said."  
  
Jarod turned to Parker. "When we get through the door, cross these two wires and punch in a code. Any code you can remember. And don't punch it in except for Dr. Stedman and myself. We have to try and contain her." Parker nodded her head in agreement. Jarod pushed the code in and the door opened. Music blared so loud that Becky, Mark, and Parker had to cover their ears.  
  
Lily sat rocking to the music, seemingly oblivious to their entry. Dr. Stedman and Jarod approached her slowly and cautiously.  
  
Shouting as loud as she could, Dr. Stedman yelled Lily's name. With no response, she looked at Jarod and motioned that Jarod try. Jarod decided to move to the front of his sister and see if he could make eye contact. Stedman tried to stop him, but Jarod moved quickly. He bent down on his knees in front of her. "Lily." He yelled on the top of his lungs.  
  
The young woman moved her head far enough off her knees so that her eyes looked at Jarod through the soft brown curls of her hair. He saw the coldness he had seen in Kyle's eyes. "Go away Jarod."  
  
"I know you're confused right now. I can help you through this. We can do this together." Jarod was trying to reach the person he knew was trapped inside.  
  
Lily jumped off from the boulder and sent Jarod flying backwards onto his posterior. "I don't need your help. I don't need anyone. It makes you vulnerable." She started pacing around. "A lone assault will be more successful."  
  
"Lily." Stedman yelled trying to assess her charge's condition. "Do you know where you are? What is today's date?"  
  
Lily stopped her pacing and shot a look. "I've been to hell and back." She looked up at the trees, fixated on the leaves. "It's the day when all the suffering stops. It's the beginning of the end." Lily looked Joan eye to eye.  
  
Jarod got up and moved towards the two women. "Lily, together we will make the suffering stop. Dr. Stedman will help us." His eyes pleaded with hers, looking for some sort of recognition.  
  
"No one can help us." Lily screamed. "The evil is all around us. Inside whispering. You can't ever get away from it no matter how hard you try. You're an example Jarod. It keeps touching our lives time and time again. There's only one way to make it stop." The music in the room changed songs. Lily listened to the words and seemed entranced.  
  
I want my money back. I want my money back.  
  
Lily started singing with the words:  
  
"It's all or nothing and nothings all I ever get."  
  
"Every time I turn it on I burn it up and burn it out."  
  
"It's always something. There's always something going wrong."  
  
"That's the only guarantee. That's what this is all about."  
  
Lily ran full force and jumped onto one of the boulders, teetering on the edge. She turned around and looked straight at Jarod.  
  
"It's a never-ending attack. Everything's a lie and that's a fact."  
  
"Life is a lemon and I want my money back."  
  
The song continued while Jarod tried to approach the boulder where Lily was standing listening to the music.  
  
And all the morons and all their stooges with their poems.  
  
They're the ones who make the rules. It's not a game, it's just allowed.  
  
There's desperation. There's desperation. There's desperation in the air.  
  
That leaves a stain upon your clothes and no detergent gets it out.  
  
And we're always slipping through the cracks. And the movie is over, fade to black.  
  
"Life is a lemon and I want my money back."  
  
"I want my money back. I want my money back.".  
  
Jarod was just about to reach the boulder when Lily put her hand up to tell him to stop. She screamed from on top of the rock:  
  
"What about love, it's defective. It's always breaking in half."  
  
"What about sex, it's defective. It's never built to really last."  
  
She looked eye to eye down to Jarod and continued to yell:  
  
"What about your family, it's defective. All the batteries are shot."  
  
"What about your friends, they're defective. All the parts are out of stock."  
  
"What about hope, it's defective. It's corroded and decayed."  
  
She turned her attention to Joan.  
  
"What about faith, it's defective. It's tattered and it's frayed."  
  
"What about your Gods, they're defective. They forgot morality."  
  
"What about your town, it's defective. It's a dead end straight to me."  
  
"What about your school, it's defective. It's a pack of useless lies."  
  
"What about your work, it's defective. It's a crock and then you die."  
  
Her face turned to rage.  
  
"What about your childhood, it's defective. It's getting buried in the past."  
  
"What about your future, it's defective. You can shove it up your ass."  
  
Lily jumped off the boulder and walked quickly to the door. She tried opening the lock while mouthing the words to the music that played on.  
  
I want my money back. Life is a lemon.  
  
I want my money back. Life is a lemon. Life is a lemon.  
  
It's all or nothing and nothings all I ever get.  
  
Every time I turn it on I burn it up and burn it out.  
  
Unable to get the door open, she stepped back while Jarod and Dr. Stedman slowly came up next to her. Jarod ready to grab her and the doctor to use the syringe in her pocket. Lily snapped her head in their direction:  
  
"It's a never-ending attack. Everything's a lie and that's a fact."  
  
Lily pulled the gun from the back of her pants and a turned back to the door.  
  
Parker seeing what she was going to do screamed. "Get down!" Parker pushed Becky and Mark to the floor. The guards dove for the floor. Lily aimed the gun and fired at the glass. Pieces flew everywhere. Jarod and Dr. Stedman dived for cover behind nearby boulders. Hitting the remaining shards with the gun, Lily walked through the doorframe.  
  
Life is a lemon and I want my money back.  
  
And we're always slipping through the cracks.  
  
And the movie is over, fade to black.  
  
Life is a lemon and I want my money back.  
  
Back, back, back, back....................................................................... 


	10. Backdraft

Parker seeing what she was going to do screamed. "Get down!" Parker pushed Becky and Mark to the floor. The guards dove for the floor. Lily aimed the gun and fired at the glass. Pieces flew everywhere. Jarod and Dr. Stedman dove for cover behind nearby boulders. Hitting the remaining shards with the gun, Lily walked through the doorframe.  
  
Life is a lemon and I want my money back.  
  
And we're always slipping through the cracks.  
  
And the movie is over, fade to black.  
  
Life is a lemon and I want my money back.  
  
Back, back, back, back........  
  
Lily stepped past the group on the floor and proceeded to the elevator, the gun lowered at her side. Jarod and Dr. Stedman came running out the doorframe, careful not to hit the glass that hung still from the frame. The guards, who had gotten to their feet, rushed at Lily. She grabbed one by the shoulders, kicking the second in the stomach, knocking him into the third guard. She spun and pushed the first guard to the ground. Jarod assisted Parker from the floor mentally checking that she was OK. Mark was helping Becky up.  
  
Jarod slowly walked down the hallway towards Lily who had now reached the elevator and was trying to undo the cover of the elevator buttons. The guards, who had again gotten to their feet, quickly caught up behind Jarod, two with their weapons drawn. When he was about 10 feet from her, Lily shot a look sideways. She raised the gun so that it was pointed at Jarod's head.  
  
"It seems that we have been in this situation before. You don't want to hurt me. Lily put the gun down." Jarod spoke in a low soothing tone.  
  
The guards immediately raised their guns pointing them at Lily. Becky tried to run down the hall, but Dr. Stedman stopped her. "Becky, don't." Distress was written on her face as she fought the doctor to get past her. "We don't know what she will do under these circumstances."  
  
Lily faced off with the guards. "You don't control me. I can do what I want. Be what I want. You are all puppets and pawns. You think you scare me with those guns?" There was coldness in her eyes. "I decide who lives or dies."  
  
Jarod felt as if an arrow had been shot in his heart as he heard the words first uttered by Kyle. Knowing what Raines had done to him to get him to believe those words. "You know you don't want to hurt anyone. You are a good person with a good soul. What you're feeling now is just the garbage that Raines fed you."  
  
"Don't mention that name to me!" Lily grabbed her head in pain. Jarod moved forward to grab the gun, but Lily straightened and again stood with conviction. "Stay away from me. You all lie. Leave me alone!" She screamed, the gun shaking in her hand. "I won't believe anything you say. Lies. Pain. That's all you know!"  
  
"I have never lied to you. You are my sister and I want to help you. I know what you are going through." Jarod tried reasoning with her.  
  
"You know nothing of what I went through. What Raines does.." She grabbed the side of her head again.  
  
Mark and Joan started to move up behind Jarod. The doctor put her hand on Jarod's shoulder and motioned to let Mark pass him. Jarod responded by shaking his head no and started to say something when he heard Mark speaking.  
  
"Lily. Honey. It's me. It's Mark." He was approaching her slowly.  
  
Lily stood with the gun now pointing at Mark. "Stay away." Lily held the side of her head in pain. A glimpse of recognition sparked in her eyes. The gun started to shake in her hand. "Mark? Mark? Help me." Her eyes turned to pleading. "What's happening to me?" She said through clenched teeth.  
  
Before she could regain composure, Mark grabbed the gun and slid it behind him. Jarod grabbed the gun off the floor. Dr. Stedman stiffened seeing the gun in Jarod's hand. He acknowledged her concern and handed it to the doctor.  
  
Mark went to hug Lily when she collapsed sobbing to the floor. "What is wrong with me?" She kept repeating over and over. Mark cradled her in his arms on the floor. She doubled over in pain holding the side of her head. Dr. Stedman rushed over and pulled the syringe out of her pocket. She injected the medication into Lily's arm. "NO!" Lily tried to fight regaining a little fire, but collapsed into unconsciousness.  
  
Stedman took out and flipped open her phone. "This is Dr. Stedman. I need a gurney on level 6 and get Operating Room 2 ready. Mark take her vitals. We have to make sure she's stable enough for this."  
  
"What are you going to do to her!" Jarod shouted trying to get to his sister past Stedman.  
  
"Jarod. She has a chip implanted that is connected to her brain from Raines. It stimulates the brain to throw the person into fits of anger and rage. We're going to have to go in there and see what kind of damage it has done." She looked into his hurt and scared eyes. "The events of the past week have triggered something, a failsafe. We have to correct it or remove it. It's her only chance now."  
  
Jarod fell to his knees in front of her, tears rolling down his cheeks. Parker, who had now come down the hall, put her hands on his shoulders. Becky came down and knelt next to Jarod. The elevator doors opened and the team with the gurney appeared. Mark picked Lily up and placed her on the gurney. Jarod could see not only concern, but love in his eyes. The team strapped her in. Stedman made her way through the group on the floor and joined Mark on the elevator. Jarod stood up and tried to get on.  
  
"No Jarod. Let us take care of her." Stedman said in an authorative voice.  
  
"I'm coming." Jarod responded determined to get in that elevator.  
  
Dr. Stedman nodded to the guards behind Jarod, who pulled him back by his arms. The elevator door closed.  
  
Jarod turned to Becky. "Please. I have to be with my..."Jarod hesitated knowing that the word would hurt Becky, "sister. Please take me to her." A lone tear ran down his cheek.  
  
The Centre car approached the airport rental agency. It parked in the Guest parking and Lyle, Sydney, Broots, and Angelo got out of the vehicle. Willie also got out the driver's side of the car. Lyle went through the automatic doors of the car rental building followed by everyone else. Sydney, Broots, and Angelo stayed farther back from the counter as Mr. Lyle spoke to one of the Centre's operatives there.  
  
"Sydney, what do you think happened to Miss Parker?" Broots was concerned for the secret love of his life.  
  
"I don't know Broots. We haven't heard from her or Jarod in a week and I would assume that something is physically keeping them from making contact."  
  
"From the buzz at the Centre not something, someone. And a big group of someones. Do you think that the Triumvirate could have something to do with this?"  
  
"I think Mr. Lyle and Mr. Raines would know if the Triumvirate had taken them. The whole matter concerns me. We may have another set of players in the game."  
  
"Jarod and Miss Parker are living with the Angels." Angelo said half looking at them and half-looking at a small child playing with a doll.  
  
"Angelo, is Jarod dead?" Sydney asked not wanting to hear the answer if it was the truth.  
  
"No, with Miss Parker. With the Guardian Angel's." Angelo was smiling at the little girl.  
  
Lyle came away from the desk. "The van is in the back. Get Willie and we'll start going over it with a fine toothcomb. Let's see if the bloodhound can pick up anything on my dear Sis and Wonder Boy." He walked past Angelo. "You're only here because Raines wants you here." Lyle headed out the door.  
  
Sydney and Broots headed for the door with Angelo. "Why does he have such hate for Angelo?" Broots asked.  
  
"I believe that Mr. Lyle doesn't like anyone, but why the hatred for Angelo only he knows." Sydney opened the door and let the two men pass him before going through it himself.  
  
They reached the van in time to see Willie opening the front doors and checking under the front seats. Lyle opened the back doors of the van. Angelo climbed into the rear of the van. Various images appeared to him.  
  
"Angelo, are you getting any impressions?" Sydney asked while Lyle impatiently waited.  
  
"Jarod and Miss Parker. Sleeping amongst the men. Men with guns." Angelo replied spotting something shiny on the floor.  
  
"What is that suppose to mean?" Lyle said tired of wasting his time trying to please Raines.  
  
"I believe he must be referring to the fact that Miss Parker and Jarod were not conscious when they were transported in the van. Whoever took them was armed and took them by force." Sydney surmised.  
  
Angelo approached the shiny object on the floor. He scooped up a necklace that was a round silver medallion with the picture of an angel on it. When he turned it over he saw the words - Angel's Hope, Lily. A flash came to him, a woman with long curly hair lying next to Jarod. Another woman with blond curly hair looking down at her. He smiled when he got a warm feeling from her.  
  
Lyle spotting Angelo looking at the floor of the van called in. "Angelo. Did you find something?" Lyle went around the van to open the side door. Angelo quickly put the necklace over his head and hid it under his shirt.  
  
Lyle opened the door. "Get out." He ordered. "Let me see your hands." Angelo presented his empty hands. "What were you looking at in there?" Lyle climbed in and looked where Angelo had been. Seeing nothing, he got back out. "Did you put something in your pockets?" Lyle motioned for Willie to search Angelo's pockets. Angelo struggled a little, but all that Willie came out with were seven surprise toys from Cracker Jack boxes.  
  
"Leave him alone Lyle. He told you what you wanted to know. Parker and Jarod did not leave of their own accord."  
  
Lyle checked with Willie to find that nothing else but a partial ripped Northwestern flight tag had been found in the van. Lyle flipped open his phone. "Yes. We've searched the van. No. Nothing of any value. Paid for in cash. I'll track the name and address given, but I'm sure it's faked. Yes. He sensed that Parker and Jarod did not leave unassisted. Yes Sir. Yes." The connection was broken abruptly. Lyle growled and motioned with his head to Willie to head back to the car.  
  
Sydney, Broots, and Angelo followed. "I don't think that Lyle is enjoying the parental guidance of his newfound father." Sydney smiled at the prospect that for once it may not have to be them that distracted Raines.  
  
"Would you be happy with him being your father? Though I don't think the apple has fallen far from the tree." Broots added clearly showing his distaste for Raines and Lyle.  
  
Angelo smiled as he headed for the car with his new toy neatly tucked in his shirt. ******** Jarod, Parker, and Becky watched from the operating room observatory. The doctors had located the chip and were working on the bleeding that had occurred from its malfunction. Stedman and Mark stood off to the side observing the procedure. She looked up to see Jarod watching the operation. She acknowledged to Mark that she was leaving, left the room and disrobed out of her surgical gear.  
  
Jarod watched the operation proceed. "I can't lose her Parker. I just found her. I couldn't take finding another sibling to have them die before I get to know them." He leaned his head against the glass, fighting back the tears.  
  
"It'll be all right Jarod. She's a strong woman and a fighter. She reminds me of me. And remember you can't ever kill a Parker. So she can't die." She could admit it now and was sorry that the circumstances may dictate that she would never get the chance to know Lily better. Under different circumstances, they could have been friends. But the Centre doesn't allow that. It complicates matters, makes you emotional. No one at the Centre is allowed to have feelings or emotions. For years she had denied her feelings for anything, her mother, her mother's death, the way her father treated her. She had thrown herself into first her schooling and then her work. Be the best, be the tiger lady, and get what you want. Then maybe her father would pay attention to her. That had started to crumble partially when she fell in love with Tommy. But he got ripped from her too. Now there was Jarod. He had expressed his feelings in Carthis, but she was unable to contemplate the complexity of a relationship with him at that point. Her father was there; the Centre was there. She had chosen survival over emotion. Now she was standing there with the man she had been taught to hate, but truly admired. Truly craved. And he was in such pain. She had seen that pain when Kyle died in his arms and he had carried his body to the helicopter. She knew that he had gotten past all the other trauma in his life and survived, but how long could one person take tragedy after tragedy before going insane. She wanted to put her arms around him, comfort him, help him. But something inside told her that she was a Parker and that it was a fruitless gesture. As long as Raines was still alive. Maybe in the insanity that Lily was going through there was one truth - Raines had to die. None of them would be safe until that oxygen tank-breathing troll was vanquished. But for now she would be there for Jarod.  
  
"If we believe she is going to be all right, then she will be all right." Becky said trying to reassure herself more than Jarod.  
  
Dr. Stedman entered the room. She immediately noticed Becky, Parker, and Jarod's concern. "The operation is going well. You don't have to worry about her. She's too stubborn to let a little chip get her down."  
  
Jarod kept looking through the glass. "How much damage was there?"  
  
"I could lie to you and say that there was no damage, but I know better. You would know I would be lying. There was some hemorrhaging around the site. The doctors couldn't remove nor rewire the chip this time without causing further damage, so when she wakes up there will be no more veils over her memories. She will remember everything that happened to her at the Centre and she will have to deal with them." Joan looked away from the group.  
  
"Or. I know there is an or Joan." Becky stated knowing the answer already.  
  
"Or she will go insane." Parker finished for Dr. Stedman. "Another casualty of the Centre."  
  
Dr. Stedman turned in shock to hear Parker utter those words. "Yes Miss Parker. The Centre has a lot of casualties. Let's hope that Lily is not one of them."  
  
Jarod watched as the nurses got their patient ready for transport to the Post Op. He turned and looked at Dr. Stedman. "They're finished. I want to be there when she wakes up. If anyone knows what she'll be going through, it would be me."  
  
"I will arrange for you to be brought to her room Jarod. Miss Parker, I believe that you may want this." Dr. Stedman handed her a key. "It's the key to your mother's office. It's now yours. I hope you find the answers that you have been searching for." Dr. Stedman left the room. Parker just looked at what may be the key to her past.  
  
Hours later Jarod sat by Lily's bed holding her hand. Hoping that when she woke up the war going on inside her would not destroy her.  
  
Parker put the key in the door to her mother's office. She opened the door and walked in. The guard following her stayed outside the door. She closed the door and walked slowly past the pictures and the open safe. She went to the desk and sat down in the chair. She pulled closer to the desk and started looking through the folders on the desk. She found a dark blue expand folder and pulled the elastic cord off that kept it closed. She poured the contents of the folder onto the desk. A journal fell out and very old papers. She opened the journal and flipped through the pages till she read something that caught her eye.  
  
I have found the papers that my husband kept hidden from me. They are notes from his grandfather depicting the horrible night that he killed his family on the Isle of Carthis. His journey to Blue Cove and his founding of the Centre. Amongst those papers was a detailing of the scrolls that he found on Carthis. The monks made a translation that the Parker's have built their entire existence around. They have been creating children to fulfill their destiny. I fear for my daughter's life and that of poor Jarod. I am going to try one last attempt to get them out of the Centre. One last doctor's appointment and I will be "off to Europe". Little does anyone know, but my little Utopia here is Europe. He will never be able to find us or hurt the children again. Please. God help us.  
  
Parker picked up the papers that had fallen to the desk and started to read the excerpts that had been written:  
  
The Centre shall rise to command great wealth and power............  
  
The chosen will be found. Gemini's possessing unique gifts and abilities...........  
  
A boy named Jarod will be the instrument of either ultimate power or........... 


	11. Rise & Fall

bAuthor's Note: Thank you guys for your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. They also help me feel out where you think the story should go. I'm putting most of my focus on this fic while I recover from back surgery. I hope you guys can bear with me if it starts to get difficult. Now, on to the story. b  
  
The balance of the game has been thrown.  
  
The players neither winners nor losers.  
  
In the end, truth holds the winning hand.  
  
*****************  
  
Parker picked up the papers that had fallen to the desk and started to read the excerpts that had been written:  
  
The Centre shall rise to command great wealth and power............  
  
The chosen will be found. Gemini's possessing unique gifts and abilities...........  
  
A boy named Jarod will be the instrument of either ultimate power or...........  
  
The papers detailed the beginning of the Centre and it's affiliation with the Triumvirate. There was a sheet that was in Catherine Parker's handwriting that had notations concerning information she had found that pertained to the excerpts from the scrolls. Parker read them and started comparing the information.  
  
Her great grandfather had written down what he could remember of the scrolls. He had handed them down through the generations, first to her grandfather and then to her father. The Parker lineage was to pay for the price of this knowledge with a pledge of blood and deeds.  
  
Parker thought, "My mother must have found the papers and relocated them to Angel's Hope. That must be why Daddy and Raines were so desperate for Jarod and I to find the original scrolls. Mom took the only reference to their base of power." She smiled at her mother's cleverness.  
  
The Centre shall rise to command great wealth and power to control commerce and countries. The chosen will be found. Gemini's possessing unique gifts and abilities will bring about the prosperity and the destruction of the Centre. Her great grandfather had originally sought children under the zodiac sign and born from May 22nd to June 21st. The whole time searching for a gifted child named Jarod. He founded the Sepastian cult in the United States and met with members in Boston. Certain monks came from Carthis to provide information and updates. Many treasure seekers had come to Carthis hearing of the power of the scrolls, but no one had been able to locate them. It was said that the scrolls had been cursed because those who searched for them often vanished. In reality, the Monks that were working with the Parkers were killing the searchers and dumping the bodies into the ocean. Through various business deals and land holdings, Niles Parker started amassing a fortune. It was in the 50's that the Centre re- interpreted the passage to mean twins instead of a zodiac sign. Parker's grandfather, Robert, had joined forces with a group in Africa that had also heard of the scrolls, but had been unsuccessful in locating them. Thus the collaboration with the Triumvirate was born; a league that monitored activities in that part of the world and who used the Centre with their business dealings. Robert had convinced the Triumvirate that they had the scrolls. By feeding them the information achieved though Centre resources, Niles and Robert Parker kept them from taking total control of the Centre. All the while gaining more allies in the black market underground. After Niles Parker's death, Robert Parker took control of the Tower. This was the main governing body of the Centre and he formed the medical sub-divisions in the Blue Cove facility. Sub-levels 20 through 30 were constructed and a new state of the art security system was installed. Various medical experiments were conducted all through World War II and the Korean War. Robert Parker married Deborah Carlisle and had a son, Robert Jr., and a daughter, Elizabeth. After Deborah and Elizabeth Parker's deaths in a car crash and Robert Parker's death of a heart attack, Robert Parker Jr. became the CEO and Chairman of the Board for the Centre. Several years later, Robert Jr. married Catherine Jamieson.  
  
Parker looked at the words again. "Deborah and Elizabeth killed in a car crash. Strange how all the family members of male Parkers just happen to meet untimely deaths?" She looked at the one sentence over and over.......The Parker lineage was to pay for the price of this knowledge with a pledge of blood. Was her mother's blood the price her father had paid?  
  
************************  
  
Jarod silently sat next to Lily's bed. He held her small hand gently in his large hand noticing how strong yet how frail it looked. He realized that emotionally they were the same as that hand. Frail in some ways (their need to know who they were and where they came from) and strong in others (their resolve to do good and thwart evil). But for Lily everything was imploding. He had had years to cope with and come to terms with his childhood. She would just be beginning. A past that was as horrible, if not worse than his own. He could imagine what Raines had done to her as a child. He knew what Raines had done to him his entire life.  
  
"Sitting here all night is not going to do her or yourself any good. Why don't you go to your room and get some sleep?" Dr. Stedman stated after quietly entering the room and seeing Jarod's drawn face.  
  
"I want to be here when she wakes up. She is going to need someone who understands the turmoil raging inside her."  
  
"I can see that you are very much like your sister, so I'm not even going to try and change your mind. If you need anything, Mark will be watching." Stedman nodded toward the camera focused on her bed.  
  
Jarod looked at the camera with loath in his eyes. He hated being watched. "I'll let him know if we need anything." Dr. Stedman started to walk towards the door. "Dr. Stedman. Can I ask you something?"  
  
She turned to face Jarod. "Of course Jarod."  
  
"How.....close.....are Lily and Mark?" He asked sheepishly.  
  
Dr. Stedman looked seriously at Jarod. "They are engaged to be married." But she sensed his uneasiness. "Don't worry about intruding on Mark. He is giving you this time alone with her. And he'll be stopping in to see her. He is one of the best psychologists in the country and he knows that you can better recognize what she will be going through. Help her through this, if she can get through this. Allot of things are going to be jumbled in her brain. What we told her verses what she would now remember. You will be her navigator. Get her through the rough waters and the sandpits."  
  
"Clean up yours and the Centre's messes." Jarod looked directly in Stedman's eyes.  
  
"Jarod. We do what we have to do to try and save these children. All of them come broken and twisted and we try and help them. I clean up the Centre's messes. All of them. And up to this point, with Lily's help. The only one I know who could counter your genius. I needed her focused. I needed her to believe that life was ideal." Stedman turned and walked the rest of the way to the door. She sharply turned around and looked at Jarod. "Because I couldn't stand to think what her reality was. I love her Jarod as if she were my own child. Think about it." Stedman left the room.  
  
Jarod looked back at Lily who was now slightly mumbling in her sleep. He knew that this was the beginning. What demons were chasing her in her mind? And did they have the face of William Raines?  
  
************************  
  
Parker read the next words with intrigue.  
  
A boy named Jarod will be the instrument of either ultimate power or total destruction of the Centre. A child prodigy born of strength and inner light. Born one of two, mastered to manipulate man and machine. Destined to marry the heir of power, another who possesses an inner sense. Together they will come to challenge the powers and change outcomes. Assisted by other prodigies of dark and light. The boy is one half of a whole. The other half will be as sweet as a morning flower and as deadly as a serpent. If the halves are joined, the two will overcome all obstacles placed before them. Giving the three authority over the power of the Centre.  
  
She laid her head on the desk. Many things were running through her head. Her father's last words:  
  
"The scrolls are real. So is the pain they inflicted especially on your mother. .......It's time to fulfill her wish and send this evil back where it belongs.........You'll be alright, it's not how they say it ends........I love you as my daughter, that's all that counts. Don't be sad. The new Parker legacy begins with you. God be with you Angel."  
  
Her thoughts wandered to the words Jarod spoke when they were at the airport from Carthis.  
  
"I hate to see anyone miss a turning point, when one is staring one in the face......Only you can decide for yourself whether or not to take a hard look at your life. The way your mother once did......Then who are you - you're father? Is the Parker legacy what you want to pass on to your children?  
  
He had taken her hand. Tried to make her realize her life could be something more. Was Jarod right? Were they meant to be together? Did some higher power know that they were meant for each other? Fate. Kismet. Divine intervention. Two pieces of a puzzle that fit together.  
  
Raines and her father had tried to keep them apart as children. But still they managed to steal time away together. Climbing into the air ducts, sometimes with the help of Angelo. But as she grew older, the Centre forced them apart by sending her to boarding school and then off to college. Teaching her to become colder and harder emotionally. Had they seen the connection that was forging between them? Not one of coldness, but that of friendship and caring.  
  
Her father knew what her great grandfather had written from the scrolls. Destined to marry the heir of power, another who possesses an inner sense. They knew her mother had an inner sense. Did they assume that her children would also have it? Had they thought that after acquiring Jarod as a young boy, they would use her for their own purpose? Had they banked that they could manipulate Jarod to work willingly for them? That through time he would relent to their treatment of him and become their willing puppet like Lyle. Were they determined after breaking both their wills, to again reintroduce each other and hope for a union? But Jarod's escape had ruined any plans they may have had. They pulled her from corporate to search and find him. She always wondered why they had called her back and why it was imperative to her father that she find Jarod. Was it the Centre's way of keeping them connected?  
  
And did they now realize that if the two gained power that they would never allow the atrocities that had been taking place to continue. Lyle could now be the key that Raines was banking on. Lyle had the coldness that was the heart of the Centre. The coldness that on some level she no longer possessed. Jarod had seen to that. Had brought her out of the darkness and into the light. No longer could she just look the other way. She knew that Raines had executed her mother. Watching the DSA of him executing her after Ethan's birth had clinched any loyalty she had to the Centre and any ties to being a true Parker. But she also knew that the arms of the Centre were long and she couldn't afford to let Jarod get close to her. She knew that she had hurt him and it had killed her inside, though she would never admit it.  
  
"Who am I Mother?" She realized that she was now where Jarod had been for the last six years. Knowing technically who she was, but not knowing in her heart who she was. Her father's or mother's daughter. She now knew she couldn't be both. Her mind was still running a mile a minute as she fell asleep at her mother's, now her desk. As she drifted off to sleep, she could hear her mother's voice in the back her mind. "You are my beautiful daughter. Here you are safe. Trust them. Trust yourself. You must finish my work...."  
  
************************  
  
Stedman walked into her suite and poured herself a drink. So many situations had happened in the last weeks that jeopardized everything that she and Catherine had started.  
  
"Catherine." She said aloud talking to her friend, hoping she could hear her. "What do I do if I can't bring Lily back again from the brink she teeters on? I know you always thought that she and Jarod along with your daughter was the key to destroying the Centre. But the circumstances have changed." She walked to her bathroom and started to get changed for bed. "I wasn't able to save them. They haven't grown up into the adults we thought that they would be. Lily is unruly, Jarod is defiant, and Little Miss Parker is much her father's daughter. Am I going to be able to direct them to the chores that they have ahead? If they can't complete their mission, then everything we have worked for will be destroyed. The Centre will be too powerful for us to counter anymore." She walked to the bed and sat down. She picked up the phone. "Yes, it's Stedman. Please call me immediately if there are any changes in Lily. Is Jarod still in her room? No, that's fine. Leave him there for now. I'll let you know if access becomes restricted. Goodnight." Stedman hung up the phone. She opened a drawer in the nightstand at the side of her bed. She reached in and picked up a picture. "I miss your assistance my love. I could really use your advice right now. What should I do? I wish for one moment I could be in your arms again and you could tell me everything would be all right. But both you and Catherine are gone now. Casualties of the cause." She put the picture back into the drawer and shut it. "Is there someone that you would have trusted? Someone who could help me." She thought to herself for a moment. She opened the drawer again and took out an old black address book. She flipped through the pages till she found the number that she needed. She picked up the phone again and dialed the number. The phone rang the number and was quickly picked up.  
  
"Sydney."  
  
************************  
  
Jarod had fallen asleep in the chair next to Lily's bed. He had tried to stay awake, but exhaustion had overtaken him. He moaned as he slept seeing visions of his mother (coming out of the cab, the look of pain as she realized who he was and that the Centre operatives were coming to get them), his sister Emily (bandaged and unconscious after the Centre's attack), his father's face (the look of pain in his eyes as he had to leave Jarod on that runway strip to save Parker), and the most horrible image of all Kyle (dying in is arms after Lyle had shot him). Jarod had always felt guilt over Kyle's death.  
  
First because as a young boy hadn't remembered that he had a brother and that left Kyle open to Raines' torture. And second that he was unable to save Kyle because he had stopped him from shooting Lyle when he had the chance. He had tried to save his soul, but in the end killed his brother. His father and he had conversations where Major Charles tried to convince him that he was not responsible for Kyle's life or death, but deep down Jarod still had that guilt.  
  
Now he was seeing Lily standing in a field, smelling flowers and smiling. Jarod was facing her and could see how happy she was. Then he saw Cox standing off caddy corner to Lily's side. He had his gun raised and was about to shoot. Jarod started to scream "Nooooo!" When he was jolted out of his sleep and nearly jumped out of his chair. He looked around the room, disorientated for a few moments. He turned to the see Lily wrestling around in the bed. She was thrashing and kicking at imaginary assailants.  
  
Lily could see herself as a young child, trapped in a dark room. She could hear the sounds of other children crying and being dragged away. She hid herself in the corner of the room. Trying to hide herself in the dark. Two men entered the room and grabbed her. "Mommy! Daddy!" She could see herself scream over and over. The two men carrying her by her arms into the hallway. Someone is in the hallway. He is a tall, skinny, sinister looking man holding a syringe and bottle. He is drawing the liquid into the syringe.  
  
"Hold her still. This will calm her down for the procedure." The man said with a low raspy voice. She had come to hate this boogey man.  
  
Young Lily pulled her arms free and ran down the hall, frantically looking for an escape route. Coming up the hall was another child, a young boy who she recognized. She could hear the boogey man issuing orders and the men coming quickly up behind her. The boy began to struggle to get free. To help the young Lily. She knows that he is her friend. He stomps on the foot of the guard and he runs to her. Pushing her behind him. The guards are in a huddle around them trying to get them apart, the whole time the two children fighting their way to stay free. Amongst the screams and tears, the boogey man was screaming more orders. The guards finally separate the two as they are screaming for each other.  
  
The boy violently kicking screams "Let her go! Take me! I won't fight if you let her go!"  
  
The young girl is dragged in the opposite direction, the guard trying to get a strong hold on the girl. "No! No don't! Don't hurt him!" She watched as the boogey man injected the boy with the syringe and his body went limp. "Noooooooooooooo!" She screamed.  
  
The guard put the boy's body on a nearby stretcher and he is wheeled away. The boogey man turns around and she can see him filling another syringe. "No. Stay away from me." She was backing up away from him, but was stopped by the guard behind her. "You promised him. You liar!" The guard is trying to hold her still as the boogey man is coming closer.  
  
"Extend and restrain her arm." The boogey man sticks the needle in as Lily screams to the boy on the gurney that had now disappeared.  
  
"BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
************************  
  
The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope  
  
A new game started.  
  
Truth or Consequences. 


	12. Nitemares & Dreams

The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope  
  
A new game started.  
  
Truth or Consequences.  
  
*************  
  
The guard put the boy's body on a nearby stretcher and he is wheeled away. The boogey man turns around and she can see him filling another syringe. "No. Stay away from me." She was backing up away from him, but was stopped by the guard behind her. "You promised him. You liar!" The guard is trying to hold her still as the boogey man is coming closer.  
  
"Extend and restrain her arm." The boogey man sticks the needle in as Lily screams to the boy on the gurney that had now disappeared.  
  
"BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
**************  
  
Jarod could see that Lily was having problems breathing and that whatever nightmare she was having had put her in extreme distress. He got up from his chair and sat on the bed next to her trembling, thrashing body. He shook her slightly hoping that he could wake her from her nightmare.  
  
Lily bolted up to a sitting position, her arms punching at the imaginary aggressors. "Leave me alone!"  
  
Jarod tried to restrain her arms so that she wouldn't pull out the intravenous lines or her stitches. "Lily, it's me. Jarod. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you here."  
  
"Let me go! Let me go!" She tried to punch him. Not recognizing who he was, just caught in the horrible vision. Her eyes wide open in fear.  
  
"Mark, help me." Jarod yelled.  
  
Mark had awakened when he heard Lily scream. He looked at the monitor over the technicians shoulder, grabbed the medication that he had already preset, and was already on his way to Lily's room by the time Jarod had called for help. He swiped his card and ran into the room. He saw that Jarod was struggling to keep her from pulling her lines out.  
  
"Hold her arms down." Mark ordered. Jarod tried to put a bear hug on Lily without pulling her lines out himself.  
  
All she could see was Raines' face. All she could feel was the guard holding her tightly so that she felt like the wind was being pushed out of her lungs. She gasped for breath.  
  
"Mark, why is she breathing like this? I'm not holding her tight enough so that she can't breath. Could she have an airway obstruction?" Jarod asked as he could see her still gasping for breath.  
  
Mark injected the tranquilizer into Lily's IV. Her frantic eyes turned glassy and she fell back against Jarod and into a disturbed sleep.  
  
"I suspected that this would happen. The memories of the traumatic experiences she had as a child are starting to surface. I believe this is only the beginning Jarod; she has a long road ahead. Only God knows what they did to her there."  
  
Jarod had a great memory and could very well imagine what Raines had put her through. The terror in her eyes told it all.  
  
"Jarod the sedative I gave her will have her unconscious at least until the morning. I'll stay with her this shift. You go and get some rest."  
  
"But I want to be here..." Jarod replied determined to be there when his sister needed him.  
  
"You're not going to do her any good if you are suffering from lack of sleep. She needs you refreshed and ready to face her demons. And you can't do that sleeping in the chair. I'm thinking of her as well as you. Please take my advice." Mark had a concerned tone in his voice.  
  
Jarod realized that Mark was right. He would do his sister no good if he were exhausted. He also could see in Mark's eyes that he wanted to spend some time with Lily himself. For the first time he saw what he had suspected and what Stedman had confirmed - love in his eyes. "I'll go get some sleep and be back in the morning." Jarod started heading for the door.  
  
"Jarod." Mark started and Jarod turned. "You may want to go past Catherine Parker's office before you retire." Jarod had a confused look on his face. "At last report, Miss Parker had fallen asleep in there and none of the guards wanted to take a chance on waking her." Mark had a smile on his face.  
  
"Understood. She can be a little intimidating at times." Jarod smiled as he reached the door and knocked. The guard, Larry, opened the door. Jarod left smiling, thinking about what Parker would have done to the guards if they had tried to wake her.  
  
************************  
  
Joan hesitated as she debated whether or not to speak.  
  
"Hello. Is anyone there?" Sydney asked into the phone hoping that it was Jarod.  
  
"Sydney. It's Joan Stedman. I hope that I am not disturbing you, calling at this hour."  
  
"Joan. No, I was just finishing up some paperwork and hoping that a friend would call. My God it's been ages since I have heard from you. Last I was told was that you had left the Centre without a trace after the accident."  
  
"I know. I am so sorry that I didn't stay for Jacob's funeral, but there were circumstances that dictated that I leave immediately. If your call is important, I can call later." Joan replied.  
  
"Joan. Wait one moment please." Sydney pulled a device from his desk and attached it to the phone receiver. Broots had given it to him to use in emergencies. He clicked it on. "OK. Now it's safe to talk."  
  
"Is your line being tapped Sydney?" Joan asked, but not concerned since all calls from Angel's Hope were scrambled and untraceable.  
  
"You never know with the Centre Joan. There is so much I need to tell you."  
  
"And I you Sydney, but I don't have time for that now. I can't give you all the details mainly because I need to protect my charges and myself."  
  
"Are you in trouble?" Sydney asked. Even after all these years he held a warmness in his heart for the woman who would have been his sister-in-law.  
  
"According to Miss Parker, you already know that Jacob and Catherine Parker were working on freeing children from the Centre."  
  
"You have seen Miss Parker?" Sydney said excited that he may finally know what had happened to her. "And was there a tall dark haired man with her?"  
  
"Jarod." Joan replied. "Yes. That is why I am calling Sydney. What you probably didn't know was that I was working with Jacob and Catherine. When Jacob was killed, I went underground. To protect the children and myself. Then I heard of Catherine's death and that just confirmed that I could not contact anyone else at the Centre. Not even you. But I have a situation now Sydney. With Jarod and Miss Parker."  
  
"The two together. That must be a handful." Sydney laughed to himself knowing that Miss Parker was a handful to her own right. Let alone Jarod being in her company. "How did they find you Joan? That last we knew they had been taken away in a van."  
  
"Yes they are. Both intelligent and stubborn." Joan confirmed Sydney's suspicion. "Let's say one of my charges decided to take matters into her own hands and ran into Jarod. And from the account I got, Miss Parker was tracking Jarod. Thus a cleanup was in order."  
  
"Sounds like you are part of a large operation."  
  
"Sydney, I wish I could tell you more. Let's just say that Catherine Parker was a very smart woman and knew how in some cases to avoid the Centre. Since her death, I have taken on that cause. But my problem is handling them. There is a situation here that has hit Jarod very close to his heart and frankly he can be a very obstinate man."  
  
Sydney laughed. "Yes. I believe Miss Parker would agree with you."  
  
"And Miss Parker seems to be flippant on the outside, but I can see that finding out information about her mother is tearing her apart. What happened to her Sydney after Catherine's death?"  
  
"She was sent away from the Centre in her early teen years and was forced to live her life without the emotional bonding that Catherine had. Mr. Parker was a very cold man who taught her to bury her feelings. She now struggles between being the daughter her father trained her to be and the sensitive woman her mother would have taught her to become. There is something else you should know that I'm not sure she has told you. Catherine was murdered by William Raines."  
  
"I thought Catherine died of a self-inflicted wound in an elevator?" Joan asked astonished. "You mean Raines shot her in that elevator?"  
  
"No. Catherine faked her own death. She was really pregnant and thought that Robert Parker was going to kill her, so she allowed Raines to help her fake her own death."  
  
"But you just said that Raines killed Catherine. Why would she trust him?" Joan thought to herself. "Why wouldn't she have come here?"  
  
"She was trapped. She couldn't leave on her trip with Miss Parker as she had hoped and had to get out of the Centre. So I guess she took the only recourse she saw open to her, but it was a mistake. All Raines wanted was the baby. He was a genetic product of Catherine and Jarod's father."  
  
"Raines was playing God again." Joan said stoic, remembering what she had read in Catherine's files.  
  
"And in the end he shot Catherine dead and took the baby."  
  
"That monster. Were you able to find the child?" Joan asked concerned what Raines would do if he possessed a child that had Jarod's intelligence and Catherine's gift for inner sense.  
  
"Jarod and Miss Parker found him working on one of Raines' projects and luckily stopped him before anyone could get hurt. As far as I know Jarod helped him to escape and he is out there somewhere."  
  
"And probably wondering where Jarod is. Oh Sydney this is such a mess."  
  
Sydney could hear the concern in her voice. "Whatever you do Joan you have to remember one thing. The most important thing to Jarod right now is finding out the truth about himself and finding his family. When it comes to those two things, there is no stopping him. He has been searching for six years for his family and has finally been piecing them together one by one."  
  
"That explains the world Sydney. I knew that I could count on you. I now know how I must deal with them both. It's been nice talking to you."  
  
"Joan. Wait. I'd like to help. Can you tell me where you are? I wouldn't tell anyone here where I was going."  
  
"I'm sorry Sydney. I can't take a chance that they will follow you. I'll keep you updated." And with that Joan hung up the phone.  
  
Sydney stared at the receiver in his hand. "I wish you luck Joan. With those two, you are going to need it." He hung up the phone and proceeded to gather his belongings to leave for the evening.  
  
************************  
  
Parker could see her mother walking the halls of Angel's Hope. She was happy and smiling. Small children would run up to her and the ones that couldn't she would go to. Touch their faces and speak kind words to them. She went into the arboretum and read a book to a group of children sitting on the grass. Parker felt a warmth come over her and she instinctively knew it was her mother.  
  
"This is how I wanted your life to be." Parker could hear, feel her mother say? Her mother was standing facing her now. "Happy, playful. My beautiful gift from God."  
  
"Mom. I miss you so much." Parker heard herself say. She was standing opposite her mother now, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I was so confused and angry when you died. Daddy told me you killed yourself, but then I found out..."  
  
Catherine wiped the tears from Parker's cheek. "Sssshh. That's in the past now. Nothing you can do can change what has happened. But you can change what will happen. You can't be happy living a lie." She smiled that sweet smile that Parker remembered so well.  
  
"Turning points." Parker mumbled as her mother's image faded away.  
  
************************  
  
Jarod approached Catherine Parker's office door. Miss Parker's guard, Morris, was still standing duty. "Is Miss Parker still inside?"  
  
"Yes sir. She is asleep on the desk. We didn't want to disturb her." Morris responded.  
  
"I understand. Miss Parker can be a little testy at times. I'll just slip in and take her to her room." Jarod proceeded to the doorknob of the office.  
  
"Sir. Are you sure you want to wake her?" The guard asked looking a little concerned. "She doesn't take being interrupted very well."  
  
Jarod chuckled. "I have been waking her up for years and she hasn't killed me yet. Has tried..." Jarod opened the door and looked back at the two gentlemen. "But has never succeeded." With a smile he stepped into the room. With the desk lamp being the only light in the room, he could barely make out Parker's outline. As he approached the desk, he could see that she was sound asleep on the desk. She looked peaceful and was, he could swear, smiling. He couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful, with her hair falling softly over her face. "I wonder what you are dreaming about Miss Parker?" He could hope that it was their time at Ocee's, but that would be wishful thinking. She had made her decision in the car at the airport in Morocco. But he knew no matter how hard he tried or how much she denied it; she was burned into his heart.  
  
Jarod went over to the chair and gently picked up Parker so that she was cradled in his arms. Her head fell softly onto his shoulder and she nuzzled into the warmth of the crook of his neck. Jarod felt a shudder through his body as he felt her soft skin against his neck. He carried her to the door and gently kicked the door. Morris opened the door and Jarod gracefully maneuvered Parker through the doorway. He carried her to the elevator and the guard pushed the button for the doors to open. They took the elevator to SL 10 and brought her into her room. He gently placed her on the bed. He took the blanket that was folded neatly on the bottom of the bed and placed it over her. Pulling it up to her shoulders, he was close enough to her to give her a kiss. Thinking for a moment, he decided not too. He reminded himself again that she had made her decision. He got up off the bed and proceeded to leave the room giving Parker one last look before he closed the door.  
  
When she heard the door click, Parker opened her eyes. "Goodnight Wonder Boy." She snuggled into the pillow and fell fast asleep.  
  
************************  
  
"BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!" Lily felt her body relax and the guard picked her up and placed her on a gurney. A man in a white jacket came next to the boogey man and started pushing the gurney in the direction that Bobby had gone. She was pushed through a set of doors and taken into a room that had allot of bright overhead lights and curtained areas. In the curtained areas were other gurneys with children on them. She turned her head in both directions, scanning the children looking for her friend. She was pushed past the one area and she could see Bobby laying on the gurney, a nurse shaving a section of hair behind his ear.  
  
"Leave him alone." She said slurring her words.  
  
"She's still conscious. Nurse, get me." Raines was shouting orders to one of the nurses.  
  
She was just about to be wheeled into a cubicle when Lily spotted a young girl laying on one of the gurneys.  
  
Lily bolted up in her bed and screamed, "Miss Parker!"  
  
************************  
  
The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope  
  
Truth comes with Consequences.  
  
Fate powers the game.  
  
Can Trust and Hope give them the answers? 


	13. Rebirth

The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope  
  
Truth comes with Consequences.  
  
Fate powers the game.  
  
Can Trust and Hope give them the answers?  
  
************************  
  
"She's still conscious. Nurse, get me." Raines was shouting orders to one of the nurses.  
  
She was just about to be wheeled into a cubicle when Lily spotted a young girl laying on one of the gurneys.  
  
Lily bolted up in her bed and screamed, "Miss Parker!"  
  
Mark sat straight up in the chair he had fallen asleep in and Becky rushed up from the end of the bed. She had slipped into Lily's room in the early morning; trying not to wake Mark who she could see needed the sleep.  
  
"Lily honey, it's OK. It was just a nightmare." Mark tried to calm her down.  
  
"I have to go." Lily was trying to get out of bed. "I have to find Miss Parker."  
  
Becky was trying to block her way out of the bed. "Lily, you're going to hurt yourself. Please lay down. You just had surgery."  
  
"I need to see her right now!" Lily was trying to push past Becky, but Mark helped to hold her back.  
  
In grabbing Lily's arm, Becky received a vision. "If I promise to find her, will you please lie back down?" Becky pleaded.  
  
Lily calmed down and Mark helped her back up to her pillow. "Find her now Becky!"  
  
************************  
  
Broots had gotten up early so that he could get ready for work before he had to get Debbie up. He was putting on his multicolored shirt (the one that Miss Parker had told him made him look like a reject from the '70's) and was singing Staying Alive with the radio.  
  
Debbie stood at the doorway of her father's room watching him rolling his arms and moving his rear end to the beat of the music. "No wonder disco died." Debbie said.  
  
Broots, startled, turned and looked at his daughter. "Disco did not die; it just took a hiatus." He smiled at her. "What are you doing up so early honey?"  
  
"Can I talk to you about something?"  
  
"Sure honey anything you want." Then Broots thought to himself - what if she wants to talk about sex or that time of the month. He started feeling queasy and started to stutter. "I mean uh yes...yes we can talk about anything you want. No matter how embarrassing it may be. I mean you can always talk to me about anything. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything."  
  
"Dad! It's OK. Calm down. You're going to give yourself a coronary." Broots calmed down a little. "I know you never want to talk about work and that you work at that place the Centre. Do you work undercover or something?"  
  
Broots had to laugh. He never considered himself 007, but then he had gotten into some pickles because of the Centre. "Nothing like that Sweetheart. I work in their computer department. Why are you asking if I am an undercover agent?"  
  
"Because I think I'm being followed." Debbie said as Broots sat in shock.  
  
************************  
  
Lily laid on the pillow wanting the whole time to get up and find Parker herself. She was fighting the sleepiness that felt overwhelming. She knew that there had to be medication in the intravenous and she fought to stay awake. The dreams that she was having were terrifying and felt so real. But sleep overtook her and she was back in that awful place again.  
  
The young girl laying on the gurney was unconscious. A tall man in a suit was standing next to her and calling her his Angel. That everything would be all right. The boogey man came up behind him. He was now in scrubs.  
  
"Little Missy Parker will be fine. She has one of the best chances of success for this project." The boogeyman was telling the tall man.  
  
"She better come out of this unharmed William. Nothing better happen to my little angel or your head will be mine." A nurse came behind the arguing men and pulled a curtain closed blocking Lily's view.  
  
A nurse came into the area that Lily had been wheeled into and was lifting her arm to put in an intravenous. Lily pulled all the strength she could and pulled her arm away from the woman. She cupped both her hands into a fist and clocked the woman in the jaw sending her flying. Picking herself up on the gurney, Lily crawled down, fell off the gurney, and landed on the floor. She got onto her feet, teetering, trying to get past all the curtains to escape. The boogeyman and the suited man came from behind the curtain and were yelling. Lily tried to reach the hallway she could see in front of her. An orderly ran up behind her and grabbed her, as she was just about to reach the hallway. He carried her kicking and screaming back to the gurney.  
  
"Why isn't she sedated?" The man in the suit was yelling at the boogeyman.  
  
"She has been. We're having a little trouble with this one and Bobby. They are very strong willed. Everything is under control. The procedure should make them easier to handle." Replied the boogeyman annoyed at being interrupted.  
  
The orderly deposited Lily back onto the gurney. She tried to pull away, but there was no strength left in her. Again the nurse attempted to put in the IV and another administered medication into the line. After Lily settled down, the nurse picked up a razor. She tilted Lily's head sideways, trimming the hair from behind her ear. Everything she looked at was fuzzy and time seemed distorted.  
  
Lily laid there trying to stay awake and fighting the medication. Two orderlies came in and started wheeling her out of the curtained area and through a set of double doors. She tilted her head to the left and saw the little angel girl being wheeled in the opposite direction. There was a bandage on the side of her head behind her ear. Lily was wheeled into an operating room. She could see trays of instruments and people running around in scrubs. A man appeared above her face and was holding a mask that he brought down over her nose and mouth. She tried to push the mask away, but the man kept it steady. The man was telling her to count back from 100. Lily was gasping for breath trying not to breathe in the gas. The boogeyman came into view above her, with a surgical mask covering his face and then everything faded away.  
  
*************************  
  
"Debbie honey, what do you mean you think someone is following you?"  
  
"It was just a feeling at first. Like someone was watching me. But then I saw this car a couple of times. It either sped up when I looked at it or it was parked farther up the street from my school. Miss Parker always told me to be careful and watch everything around me. That there are crazy weirdoes out there and to look for anything out of the ordinary. What should I do?" She looked at him with those sweet eyes that always melted his heart.  
  
"Debbie. I don't want you to go anywhere alone. Stay with your friends wherever you go. Don't go even to the bathroom by yourself. I'll take you and pick you up from school. Maybe you can spot the car while I am driving."  
  
"Dad, what about the play?"  
  
"Oh yeah the play. OK. I'll pick you up after the rehearsals. How does that sound?" Broots did not want to upset his daughter more than she was already upset. "Go on get ready for school. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."  
  
Debbie left his room and Broots sat on the bed. Broots said out loud. "Thank you Miss Parker for trying to keep her safe, but where are you?" There was only one reason someone would be following Debbie and that would be because of the Centre. With Miss Parker gone, he was going to have to investigate himself why someone was following his daughter.  
  
************************  
  
Becky had run into the dining hall after finding out from Security where Jarod and Miss Parker were. They were eating breakfast with Dr. Stedman when Becky came in. She told them that Lily had woken up and was frantic to see Miss Parker.  
  
"Why would she want to see me?" Parker had asked.  
  
"I had been sitting at the end of her bed. She was having one heck of a nightmare and woke up in a start. Mark and I were trying to restrain her from getting out of bed when I touched her and saw her and another child being carried away. She's remembering things and she needs to see Miss Parker now." Becky went and grabbed Parker's arm.  
  
Miss Parker instinctively pulled her arm out of Becky's grasp. "All right! I'll go with you."  
  
"Not without me." Jarod chimed in and got up from his seat.  
  
"I think we can all go and evaluate the situation." Joan wondered if Lily was remembering what she suspected.  
  
The group went immediately to Lily's room. They walked in to find Mark trying to apply oxygen and Lily gasping for breath. Mark was trying to wake her.  
  
"What's happening?" Joan immediately went to help Mark.  
  
Jarod went to follow, but Parker held him back. "Let them do their jobs Jarod."  
  
"Lily wake up it's Joan." Joan was shaking Lily who opened her eyes, tried to pull herself up, and pushed the mask away.  
  
"Honey it's OK, it's only oxygen." Mark was trying to smile to give her a sense of security.  
  
Lily focused on the two faces and relaxed, bringing herself back down on the pillow. "Where's Miss Parker?"  
  
"Right here Lily. You wanted to see me?" Parker came into view.  
  
Lily touched behind her ear where she was feeling pain and felt a dressing. Mark started to take her pulse and took the dressing off to check the stitches. Lily pushed Mark's hand away and felt behind her ear.  
  
"It wasn't just a dream. Miss Parker please come here and sit on the bed." Lily asked.  
  
Parker came over and sat on the bed. "What is all this about Lily?"  
  
Lily brought herself up to a sitting position. She tipped Miss Parker's head and looked behind her ear. She found what she was looking for right along the hairline. "I was right, it wasn't just a nightmare."  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Parker jerked herself away from Lily and started feeling behind her ear. She felt what was the reminisce of a scar. "I've never noticed that before."  
  
"Mark, Joan. Look behind Miss Parker's ear."  
  
Jarod joined the doctors and looked behind Miss Parker's ear. There was an old scar about an inch and a half in length. "It's what I suspected." Joan stated as she walked away.  
  
"He implanted them in all of them?" Mark conferred with Joan.  
  
"So will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Lily asked confused. "My head feels like someone has done the Mexican Hat Dance on my brain. I was having a dream that I was somewhere as a child. Children were getting prepped for medical procedures. And there was a boy and I knew him, his name was Bobby. And the boogeyman was there and another man in a suit that called the little girl he was standing by Angel. It was Raines wasn't it? And Mr. Parker." Lily looked at the group and knew by their expressions that she was right. "What did that son of a bitch do to us?"  
  
Parker came to realize what was happening. "Do you mean to tell me that that ghoul placed one of those chips in me?" Parker had fury in her eyes. "And Daddy knew it?" Her fury changed to heartbreak. Jarod moved to her, wanting to console her. But she moved away from him.  
  
"What chips? Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Lily's fury was matching Parker's.  
  
"Honey. When you were at the Centre, they put a chip in that could be regulated to elicit emotional responses." Mark looked into her eyes.  
  
"Like anger." Mark nodded his head yes. "What I don't understand is in the nightmare I was older than four, I was around six years old. But I wasn't at the Centre when I was six." Lily looked at Joan, who lowered her head. And then Lily had her answer. "How long was I at the Centre Joan?"  
  
"Jacob and Catherine brought you and Becky here when you were almost seven years old." Joan replied waiting for the backlash from Lily. But turned in surprise when Becky retaliated.  
  
"Seven years old! First you tell us that we're not sisters, now you're telling us that we were at the Centre for three years!" Having realized what was now coming together, she felt behind her ear. There was no scar behind either ear. "I don't feel anything. Why don't I have a chip?"  
  
"For some reason, neither you nor Jarod were part of that experiment. My conclusion would be that they did not want to take the chance of interrupting your special gift. As for Jarod, we assume that Sydney's monitoring kept them from being able to follow through with any implantation." Joan concluded.  
  
"Why can't we remember any of this? I mean I should know if I had surgery." Parker asked trying to digest all this new information.  
  
"They never wanted you to remember. Or any of us. Little puppets for their own agenda." Lily concluded having lain back down.  
  
"So what do we do now?" Jarod asked.  
  
"Well obviously you removed mine, so remove Miss Parker's." Lily looked at everyone. "You did remove it, didn't you? Didn't you?" Blank stares came back from everyone. "It's still there? Why didn't you take it out?"  
  
"It can't be taken out Lily without causing irrepairable damage. We've tried to modify it so that the mood swings aren't so drastic. And we can't stop the memories from coming back. You'll start to have your full memory over time." Joan tried to explain.  
  
"And what about me? Has this thing been functioning all these years? Did it get turned off? Am I going to pop like a firecracker? Will someone give me some damn answers!" Parker glared at everyone.  
  
"Nope. It's working fine." Jarod smiled at Parker.  
  
"What does that mean Pez Boy?" Parker retorted.  
  
"Pez Boy?" Everyone repeated.  
  
"Miss Parker if it will make you feel better I will let Mark take you to the research team and we can run some tests." Joan tried to placate her. "Besides I think Lily has had enough excitement right now and needs some rest. Everyone." Joan motioned for the door.  
  
"This way Miss Parker. We'll have a look at that chip." Mark escorted Parker who rolled her eyes, which Jarod caught.  
  
"I would like Jarod to stay Joan." Lily asked. "I want to talk to him for a moment."  
  
"Not too long. You need rest. And I mean it." Joan exited the room closing the door behind her.  
  
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Jarod asked sitting in the chair next to the bed.  
  
"I am hoping that you will tell me the truth. I don't trust the others not to lie to me. But you have been through the hell that is the Centre." Lily looked into Jarod's eyes.  
  
"I'll tell you anything you want to know. No lies. There have been enough lies."  
  
"Good. Then my first question is - Are you in love with Miss Parker?"  
  
************************  
  
The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope  
  
With Truth comes enlightenment.  
  
With Fate comes responsibility.  
  
With Trust comes openness.  
  
With Hope can there be love? 


	14. Reflections & Prisms

bPLEASE REVIEW, pretty please with a cherry on top! I'll be your best friend! Didn't work? Then, just read the story and review it after that...b  
  
The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope  
  
With Truth comes enlightenment.  
  
With Fate comes responsibility.  
  
With Trust comes openness.  
  
With Hope can there be love?  
  
************************  
  
"I would like Jarod to stay Joan." Lily asked. "I want to talk to him for a moment."  
  
"Not too long. You need rest. And I mean it." Joan exited the room closing the door behind her.  
  
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Jarod asked sitting in the chair next to the bed.  
  
"I am hoping that you will tell me the truth. I don't trust the others not to lie to me. But you have been through the hell that is the Centre." Lily looked into Jarod's eyes.  
  
"I'll tell you anything you want to know. No lies. There have been enough lies."  
  
"Good. Then my first question is - Are you in love with Miss Parker?"  
  
"What?" Jarod asked stun.  
  
"Are you in love with Miss Parker? It's a simple enough question." Lily asked again.  
  
"That is far from a simple question. A lot has happened....we're not able to..." Jarod got up and walked away from the bed, unsure how to express what their relationship is.was...  
  
"But are you in love with her?" Lily asked again more forceful.  
  
Jarod turned and looked at Lily. "Yes."  
  
"Thank you. Now I know that I can trust you."  
  
"A test?" Jarod asked. Curiosity was intriguing him now.  
  
"Yes. If you could be open enough with me to answer that one question truthfully, then I would know that any other question would be trivial in comparison."  
  
"If I could bare my soul to you, then you can with me." Jarod surmised.  
  
"In a way, yes." Lily closed her eyes. "What is happening to me?"  
  
"The chip started to malfunction. It sent you into a rage. Do you remember what happened in the arboretum?"  
  
"Sort of. It was like I was watching everything happen and couldn't stop myself." Lily hesitated, "but the nightmares are even more real. I'm watching this little girl struggling and being hurt and I can't do anything to help. But I can also feel everything that is happening to her."  
  
"Because she isn't another person, it's you. You went through those things. I know that you're frightened right now."  
  
"I'm not frightened. I don't get frightened." Lily replied defiantly.  
  
Jarod sat down next to her and put his arm around her. "Everyone gets frightened. It's a human flaw that Raines tried to burn out of people or use for his advantage. Just know that I'll be here for you."  
  
"Thank you." She put her head against his chest. Secretly she felt that this was the one place she would feel safe. Jarod wouldn't let anyone hurt her. Both heard a knock on the door and a beep of the lock.  
  
Joan Stedman walked into the room. "OK you two. Enough bonding for now. Lily needs to get some rest. I have some medication to help you relax. Jarod, I think Mark could use some assistance with Miss Parker." Joan had a cup with pills and a glass of water that she brought over to Lily. She extended her hand out with the cup of pills to Lily.  
  
" No." Lily replied.  
  
"No?" Joan looked confused. "No what?" Joan asked  
  
"No I'm not going to take any medication. I'm actually going to get up and get dressed and get the hell out of this room." Lily said forcefully.  
  
"Lily you need to rest. You just had surgery. You are not Wonder Woman." Joan retorted in a monotone voice.  
  
"Lily. Listen to Dr. Stedman. You need to get some sleep." Jarod chimed in.  
  
"I'm not going back to sleep. I'm going to get up and go to my office and get some work done." Lily had anger in her eyes.  
  
Stedman looked at Jarod and nodded her head. Jarod acknowledged her, but shook his head in a slight no. Lily saw the gesture between the two. "Lily. I just want you to get some rest. A lot has happened these last two days." Stedman said in a monotone voice as she made her way to the IV line.  
  
"I don't want to go to sleep!" She yelled. Anger started to fill her.  
  
"Lily, calm down. Try to bring your anger level down, breathe." Lily realized what Jarod was trying to do and took several big breaths. "Dr. Stedman please don't." Jarod said moving to the edge of the bed and closer to Stedman. "Don't force her into this. Talk to her first. Explain what is going on."  
  
Stedman stopped. He turned back around to Lily. "I know you how you're feeling. I know that the thought of closing your eyes and seeing those terrifying images is what is frightening you. They terrify me. I go to sleep and sometimes I wake up screaming. And yes sometimes I don't sleep either. I've stayed awake, occasionally waking Miss Parker, just so I wouldn't have to be alone with those thoughts. What the Centre did to us was horrible, beyond reproach. But you also can't spend the rest of your life without sleep. And avoiding the pain by keeping yourself occupied with work is not going to make it go away. Believe me. I know."  
  
Lily looked at him as her eyes started to tear up, but would not allow herself to cry. "I don't want to remember." She said in a low voice.  
  
"I know. None of us do. The only way to make it go away is to confront them head on." He took her head against his chest and gave her a slight hug. "You don't have a choice." He lifted her chin. "You need to get some rest, please let Dr. Stedman help you."  
  
Lily looked into his soft brown eyes and nodded yes. "I'll take the pills Joan. Not because you're telling me to, but because I want to. And because I feel enough like a pin cushion with all this junk flowing through my veins." She half smiled, took the pills and water offered, and swallowed them.  
  
"I'll be right here with you until you fall asleep. Then I think I will have to see if Miss Parker has killed Mark yet. Good thing she doesn't have her 9 mm."  
  
Lily stayed next to Jarod and after 20 minutes finally fell asleep. Jarod gently lowered her onto her pillow. "I feel so helpless." He said turning to Dr. Stedman. "For the last six years I have controlled or manipulated situations to my advantage. And I find myself in uncharted territory. I don't know what I can do to ease her pain."  
  
"Just be there for her Jarod. You said it yourself - you know what her nightmares are like. Talk her through them. Get her past them. You are her twin brother and beyond anyone else can feel her pain. Even though you did not know each other existed, your lives have paralled." Jarod nodded in agreement. "Why don't you go and see if you can assist Mark. The sedative I gave her is pretty strong and she will be out for a while. A nurse will be monitoring her. I'll have her find you if she wants you."  
  
"Thank you. I'll go find Miss Parker and see what she is up to." Jarod walked to the door and turned to look at his sister. He felt a pang of guilt in his heart and a newfound anger for Raines.  
  
************************  
  
"What do you mean you have found no trace. A body should have been reported by now. I'm telling you that I don't want you back in Blue Cove until you come up with some evidence that he drowned, washed up on shore somewhere, or was ate by sharks." Raines barked in between wheezes. He slammed down the phone onto its base.  
  
"Unpleasant news?" Lyle asked with a smirk on his face knowing fully whom Raines had been talking about. "Still no trace of him?"  
  
"No. The Sweeper team has been unsuccessful in finding the scrolls either. How has your search been for Miss Parker and Jarod?"  
  
"Nothing new to report. It's like they vanished into thin air as well." Lyle retorted. "Angelo hasn't come up with any information that has been of any use, though Sydney has been spending a particularly long amount of time with him."  
  
"Keep your eye on Sydney. His loyalty to this operation is far from clear. He may know where they are."  
  
"I don't think so. He has been way too moody and according to my sources has not received a call from Jarod in weeks. Unusual behavior for Wonder Boy."  
  
"Keep the Sweeper team looking for the person who rented that van. Have them get it and tear it apart if they have to. I want Jarod found!" Raines raised his tone, annoyed at all the incompetence that had happen since they left Carthis. "How are preparations going on the Succession Project? Is everything being finalized for subject 684's arrival?" Raines asked wheezing between sentences.  
  
"The renovation is almost complete on SL27. The labs need some more equipment that we have on order. It should be here by next week. It took longer than expected to clear the debris from the fire. The quarters are ready. Cox has her under surveillance and will bring her in when given the word."  
  
"Fine. Just make sure nothing goes wrong this time. I would hate for you to lose yet another subject due to inaccurate planning." Raines scowled. "She may also be the key to capturing Jarod."  
  
Lyle rolled his eyes and tried to keep the anger that was building up inside not to show. "Everything will run smoothly." He thought to himself, "Especially since Parker and Jarod are out of the way." Though he wanted more than anything to capture Jarod again and get his sister out of his hair, he wondered where they were. And who had them. Possibly a new player in the game and at times that meant trouble.  
  
"It better." Raines flipped his hand toward the door dismissing Lyle and then focused on research paperwork he had on his desk.  
  
"Your time is coming." Lyle said under his breath as he left the room.  
  
**************************  
  
Broots normally liked to ride his bike to work and Debbie her's to school, but today Broots decided that he would drive them. He wanted to see if anyone followed them and Debbie's fears were justified. He continually checked the rear view mirror to see if they were being followed. He didn't see any unusual cars. He pulled up to the school. He gave Debbie a kiss on the cheek. "Have a good day honey. I'll be here at three o'clock to pick you up.  
  
"Dad, I have rehearsal after school." Debbie said as she too looked to see if she could see the car she had seen before.  
  
"Oh. OK. When will you be done?"  
  
"I should be done by five o'clock." She looked around again.  
  
Broots noticing her uneasiness asked, "Honey. Do you see the car you saw before?"  
  
"No. I don't see it now. It usually parks right up there." She pointed to a part of the street a little further up the block from the school.  
  
"Well I don't see it now so just relax, but keep your eyes open. Can't ever be too careful. And remember - no where without someone else with you. OK?" Broots looked at Debbie with concern in his eyes. "I love you honey."  
  
"I love you too Dad. I'll be OK. I've spent some time with Miss Parker." With that she opened the car door and got out. She met some of her friends by the school and walked in together.  
  
Broots looked around again, but didn't see anything suspicious. He headed on into work. After Broots pulled away, a car pulled up down the street from where they had been parked. The man inside took out a notebook and wrote some more information in it.  
  
************************  
  
Parker opened her mother's office door. She looked around the room and on some level smelt her mother's favorite perfume. She walked into the room and went by the pictures. Her mother was holding her and there was such love in her eyes. She could feel her mother's presence all around her. Comforting her.  
  
Mark had told her news that she didn't want to hear. She too had one of those chips in her head. They had done a x-ray and a MRI. Luckily it looked like it was functioning normally. She had asked if there was any way of removing it and they had told her no. She was in the same situation that Lily was in. They didn't know enough about the implantation procedure to remove it without damage. Plus if Lily's newfound memories were correct, it had been there for over 30 years and was now incorporated into her body.  
  
She also was upset that Raines had messed with her mind. If she didn't remember the procedure, then he had conditioned her not to remember. How much more of her childhood had he erased?  
  
"Miss Parker."  
  
"What!" Parker replied sharply.  
  
"I'm sorry if I am disturbing you. We can talk later." Jarod said as he started backing back out of the door.  
  
"Jarod, no. You can come in." She replied half-sorry that she had spoken so sharp.  
  
"I heard the news from Mark. You OK?" Jarod asked with concern in his voice.  
  
"Sure. Not going to let some damn little chip in my head slow me down." She was hiding her true feelings from him. Letting the Ice Queen take over. She went over and sat at the desk.  
  
"It hasn't yet." He smiled and she was forced to crack a small smile herself. But he knew she was upset. He had learned over the years to read her body language. He followed her over to the desk and sat in one of the visitor chairs.  
  
"How is Lily doing?" She asked knowing that she would be foremost on his mind till she was on her feet.  
  
"She is going to need a lot of help. I've had a lifetime to deal with all the ramifications of my time at the Centre. But she's having it thrown at her all at once. She doesn't want to say it, but she's afraid of the nightmares." Jarod tried to explain tactfully.  
  
"Goodbye Utopia. Hello Hell. Raines, or what did she call him - the boogeyman - has gotten his hands onto her and she's God knows how many miles away from the Centre. All I know is when I get a hold of the son of a bitch he's going to wish he had crashed on that tarmac in Morocco." She had vented the anger that had been building up inside. "You did it again."  
  
"What did I do?" Jarod asked.  
  
"You are always with me during the most difficult moments of my life. My mother's and Thomas' death, when I was shot in the back, when I found out I had a brother, when I found out how my mother really died, when I found out my hideous family secret and now."  
  
"Fate seems to keep drawing us together." Jarod thought about what Lily asked and decided to take a chance. "Too bad we can't ever seem to stay that way."  
  
Parker looked at Jarod. "We've already been through this. You run, I chase. That's our lives."  
  
"OK. Then I'll run to SL6 and you'll chase?" Jarod got to his knees and leaned onto the desk. "Take a look around Parker. There's no where to run to anymore. It's just you and me here alone now. No Centre Sweeper Teams, no Raines, no Lyle. Just you and me. The chase is over. It's a stalemate."  
  
"It'll never be over Jarod, not until Raines and the Centre are gone. Raines will have Lyle looking for us." Parker retorted knowing that what Jarod said was right. Where were they going to go?  
  
Jarod got to his feet. "This place has been hidden from the Centre for over thirty years. Do you think that Lyle is going to be able to find it? I'm going to go check on Lily." He started walking towards the door and turned around. "Just ponder this Miss Parker - now who is running and who is chasing?" Jarod turned back around and left the room. He had left the seed. Now it was time to see if it would grow.  
  
************************  
  
The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope  
  
With Truth comes pain.  
  
With Fate come decisions.  
  
With Trust comes allegiance.  
  
With Hope comes the future. 


	15. Ties That Bind

The Players - Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope With Truth comes pain. With Fate come decisions. With Trust comes allegiance. With Hope comes the future.  
  
************************  
  
"Fate seems to keep drawing us together." Jarod thought about what Lily asked and decided to take a chance. "Too bad we can't ever seem to stay that way."  
  
Parker looked at Jarod. "We've already been through this. You run, I chase. That's our lives."  
  
"OK. Then I'll run to SL6 and you'll chase?" Jarod got to his knees and leaned onto the desk. "Take a look around Parker. There's nowhere to run to anymore. It's just you and me here alone now. No Centre Sweeper Teams, no Raines, no Lyle. Just you and me. The chase is over. It's a stalemate."  
  
"It'll never be over Jarod, not until Raines and the Centre are gone. Raines will have Lyle looking for us." Parker retorted knowing that what Jarod said was right. Where were they going to go?  
  
Jarod got to his feet. "This place has been hidden from the Centre for over thirty years. Do you think that Lyle is going to be able to find it? I'm going to go check on Lily." He started walking towards the door and turned around. "Just ponder this Miss Parker - now who is running and who is chasing?" Jarod turned back around and left the room. He had left the seed. Now it was time to see if it would grow.  
  
Parker watched the door close behind Jarod. "Damn I wish I had a cigarette and a drink. I wish Sydney were here." She was subconsciously running her palm and fingers over the files on the desk. She looked down at the files when she realized what she was doing. "Do these hold the truth mother? All my life I have been told one thing and now everything turns out to be the opposite. You trusted him. You tried to save him and you told him your secret about Ethan. That should be enough, but it isn't. I feel like.I don't know how I feel."  
  
"Maybe because you don't allow yourself to feel." Came a voice from beside Parker.  
  
She turned her head and saw Becky standing in the doorway of Lily's office. "What would you know about how I feel?"  
  
"I've felt it ever since I met you. You have all these feelings locked inside you, eating you from the inside out." Becky retaliated holding her ground. "I have a gift for knowing things that people are feeling. And your emotions radiate off you like a flare, though you hide them magnificently."  
  
Parker stared Becky down, but decided that it would accomplish nothing. "I have no feelings. They were burned out of me long ago. I live to survive."  
  
"A lonely place to be, I would say." Becky knew that she was navigating on treacherous territory. "You can survive and have feelings. Life is just juggling what you need to do with what you want to do and finding a balance."  
  
Parker looked at Becky in shock. "Are you a damn philosopher?"  
  
"No, just lucky enough to be empathic." She smiled at Parker trying to break the barrier that Parker had put up the minute she walked into the room.  
  
"Did you come here for a reason or do you just lurk in doorways as a hobby?" Parker retorted not letting her defenses come down.  
  
"I was sitting in Lily's office looking at a picture of the two of us. And I started to wonder about something that you may know the answer to and then I felt that you needed someone to talk to."  
  
"I don't need to talk to anyone. So what do you need to know?" Parker asked trying to be polite.  
  
"In those stacks of files, does it say who my brother is?" Becky looked at the files on the desk. "I mean if one of the files said that Jarod and Lily were brother and sister, then I should be in there too. Right?"  
  
Parker remembered that they had found the list of siblings. She had suspected from the minute she heard that Becky was empathic, who her brother was. She picked up the file that they had earlier found. Becky pulled up a chair from around the front of the desk. Parker opened the file and handed it to Becky.  
  
"His name is Timmy. We don't have a Timmy my age here, so he must be at the Centre. Have you met him Miss Parker?" Becky asked with excitement in her eyes.  
  
Parker thought for a moment before answering. "Becky, there is something you need to know. Raines did some horrible things to the children of the Centre. One of those things was drug therapy. He tried to strip the children of their humanity and in some cases he succeeded. Like in Jarod's brother Kyle's case. And another Pretender named Alex."  
  
"I can feel that you are keeping something from me. Something you don't want to tell me." Becky handed back the file and touched Miss Parker's hand. Images flooded into her. Parker watching the DSA of what Raines did to Timmy. Timmy becoming Angelo. When Parker thought Angelo might be her brother. Angelo working with Parker on images for a hidden secret. "Angelo. You thought the name Angelo. That's the man we met when we met Jarod. He's empathic like me. And Raines hurt him badly. Took away part of his mind."  
  
Parker shook her head in agreement. "He's a very nice person."  
  
"You called him Mush Brain. For years you used him." Becky retorted now angry at her brother's treatment. "But let me tell you, he's smarter than you give him credit for." She got up out of the chair and walked towards the door of Lily's office.  
  
"I'm sorry Becky. You don't understand what it was like growing up in the Centre's shadow. You were taught to use people, no matter what the outcome. When I started to get to know him... when I thought he was my brother, I got to know him. He helped me to find the Island of Carthis and the truth about my family. I know that he is smarter than Raines gives him credit for."  
  
Still facing the doorway. "I'm learning more and more what the Centre is about. I think Lily is right, it needs to be destroyed." Becky walked into Lily's office and closed the door.  
  
"Great. Another friend made." Parker slammed the file on the desk.  
  
************************ Lily had fallen into a deep sleep after taking the medication. She had almost hoped that it would be strong enough to keep the demons away, but the memories were not going to let her evade them. She started to remember a two-story house, she could see a small girl opening the front door and going up the stairs. Opening a bedroom door. It opened to a scarcely decorated room with a few stuffed animals and dolls on the twin bed. The little girl was sitting on the bed, when a woman entered the room.  
  
"It's time to go Lily, our appointment is at 4:00." The woman said loudly pulling the child off the bed.  
  
"I don't want to go." Lily saw that it was she again as a young girl and she was trying to pull her arm away. "That place is scary and that man is creepy. I think he is the Boogeyman."  
  
"Lily this is nonsense! Dr. Raines is a fine doctor and has known you since you were born. If you weren't being such a troublemaker in school, then you wouldn't have to be going to see him." She grabbed hold of Lily again and roughly pulled her off the bed.  
  
"I don't want to go! I don't want to go!" Lily screamed as the woman picked up the child and threw her over her shoulder.  
  
"Every time the same thing, I am getting sick and tired of this young lady!" The woman smacked Lily in the rear end.  
  
Older Lily looked on and wanted to scream for the woman to put the child down, but she was a spectator and could do nothing. The next image she saw was a medical office. There were parents and children sitting in chairs around an office waiting room. There were children playing with various games and puzzles on a small table in the middle of the room. They looked complex, yet the children were breezing through them. Lily and the woman were sitting in the chairs.  
  
"Mother, can I please go play with a puzzle?" Lily asked politely.  
  
"Certainly, you asked so nicely." The woman replied. Lily connected with the fact that younger Lily had called the woman Mother. Very formal and not with much feeling. This must be the woman who raised her as a child, though inside all she could feel was loath when she looked at her.  
  
Young Lily approached one of the puzzles. She pulled out a chair and sat next to a skinny boy who was also playing with a puzzle.  
  
"I almost thought you weren't coming today Lily." The boy said in a hushed tone so that only the young girl could hear him.  
  
"I gave my mother a hard time coming. It made us late. Boy was she mad." She whispered back and smiled.  
  
"You're going to get in trouble with Dr. Raines if you keep this up. He's mean enough without making it worse."  
  
"What do you think they would do Bobby if we just ran away?" Lily asked still playing with her puzzle.  
  
"Don't you remember what happened to Timmy when he tried? Those two big men carried him away and we haven't heard from him since. Do you really want to?" Bobby asked concerned.  
  
"Just dreaming I guess. Where would we go anyway?" Lily asked and was going to add that she had read a book about a place called New York City that had a lot of museums, when the nurse came out through the doorway. "Bobby Bowman." She called.  
  
Bobby looked at Lily as his mother led him from the table and through the doorway. Lily could see the fear in his eyes and knew exactly why it was there. She went back to mastering her puzzle and hoping that some disaster would happen to make them have to leave the building before her name was called.  
  
But after a half an hour Bobby came through the door and Raines stopped his mother to say something in private. Lily could see Bobby was upset. Then Raines looked in Lily's direction. "Mrs. Davidson, you can bring Lily in now."  
  
Mrs. Davidson got up from her chair and had to semi pull Lily out of hers. "See Dr. Raines. This is what I am talking about. The child is obstinate." She led Lily through the doorway and past a smiling Raines. Lily really didn't trust him when he smiled that fake smile. They entered his office.  
  
"I believe you will be happy to know that we have started a new program where we take the children out of public school and put them in a curriculum at a place called the Centre."  
  
Lily got alarmed. "I don't want to leave my school."  
  
"Lily. Don't you feel outcasted in your school? You are more advanced than those students are and you will be with children your own age with the same caliber of intelligence." Raines tried to coerce her.  
  
"I like my friends and I like my teachers. I don't want to go to any new school!" Lily yelled back.  
  
"There is no reason to get upset. I think we are done for this session." He led Lily and her mother to the waiting room door. They let Lily proceed through the door and Raines stopped her mother and whispered something to her. Lily turned in enough time to see her mother nod to something in agreement.  
  
Her mother then proceeded to grab her hand and lead her to their car. They drove home in silence and she went straight to her room when they got home. She didn't like the feeling she was getting that something was going to happen.  
  
Later that night they had dinner and Lily had gone to bed after finishing her homework. She had been very polite and cooperative as to not give her mother any reason to send her to this new school. She was startled awake by a noise and opened her eyes to see two men standing over her. She tried to scream for her my mother and father, but they were standing at the doorway. They knew the men were going to take her. "NO. NO MOMMY! I don't want to go. Please." But the men grabbed her and pulled her kicking and screaming into the hallway, as her parents did nothing.  
  
"Now." The one man said to her mother and she took a piece of cloth and held it over Lily's nose and mouth.  
  
Lily could smell a sweet sickening odor and then everything went black. Lily went limp in the man's arms. The next thing Lily remembered was waking up in a dark van. She was laying in the back and someone was stroking her hair. She pulled herself away, trying to get her bearings and looking for an escape route.  
  
"There's no way out. I've already tried."  
  
Lily focused on the voice as her eyes focused on the image. "Bobby? I can't believe my parents did this. Mother helped them hold the rag over my mouth with that horrible smell." Tears started to swell in her eyes.  
  
"Guess we didn't have a choice in going to that new school." Bobby said moving closer to Lily. He put his arm around her shoulders and could feel she was trembling. "I heard the men talking about the Centre. We'll be OK. We have each other. Nothing will separate us." The van came to a stop. The two children scrambled to the back of the van wall.  
  
"Stay put you two." The man said as he placed another unconscious child in the van and closed the door again. In a few minutes the van started again.  
  
Lily looked at Bobby. "Somehow I have a feeling we're not the only ones not wanting to go to the Centre."  
  
************************  
  
Jarod was just about to enter Lily's room when Becky came up behind him. "I guess we had the same idea." Becky said.  
  
"We're both worried about her. I don't think it will do any harm for both of us to be in there." The guard opened the door to the room. Jarod immediately could see that Lily was in the midst of yet another dream. Both Becky and Jarod went to the bed. Becky went to shake Lily when she got images of Lily being taken from a house and put in a van. In pulling her hands back from the fear she was feeling, she accidentally put her hand on Jarod's hand.  
  
Suddenly she found herself connected to Angelo. She could see him at his computer.  
  
He looked up and it was like he could see her. "Sister?" Angelo asked confused. He could see the woman with curly blonde hair that was with Jarod the night he went away. "With the angels." The image shook her head yes. "Need Jarod's help........"  
  
Jarod pulled his hand away from Becky, which broke the connection. "Becky, what happened?"  
  
"I saw Angelo. I think he has been trying to get in touch with you. There's something wrong, terribly wrong."  
  
Jarod looked at his sister. How was he going to help both?  
  
************************ Fate runs lives. Truth opens doors. Trust is revealed. Hope is in question. 


	16. Connections

Fate runs lives. Truth opens doors. Trust is revealed. Hope is in question.  
  
************************  
  
"We're both worried about her. I don't think it will do any harm for both of us to be in there." The guard opened the door to the room. Jarod immediately could see that Lily was in the midst of yet another dream. Both Becky and Jarod went to the bed. Becky went to shake Lily when she got images of Lily being taken from a house and put in a van. In pulling her hands back from the fear she was feeling, she accidentally put her hand on Jarod's hand.  
  
Suddenly she found herself connected to Angelo. She could see him at his computer.  
  
He looked up and it was like he could see her. "Sister?" Angelo asked confused. He could see the woman with curly blonde hair that was with Jarod the night he went away. "With the angels." The image shook her head yes. "Need Jarod's help........"  
  
Jarod pulled his hand away from Becky, which broke the connection. "Becky, what happened?"  
  
"I saw Angelo. I think he has been trying to get in touch with you. There's something wrong, terribly wrong."  
  
Jarod looked at his sister. How was he going to help both? "He's probably been trying to reach me via my e-mail. But since we have been quarantined here, I haven't had access to my computer. Becky, did you get any sense of what was wrong?"  
  
"I'm sorry Jarod. I couldn't get a clear picture of what was wrong. The images were jumbled and I wasn't familiar with what I was seeing. But I could see a young lady in a Princess costume. But I don't know what she has to do with anything. Sometimes I wish this gift came with an owner's manual." She smiled at Jarod hoping that it would ease the tension she could feel coming from him.  
  
He smiled back. "I'm sure you do." His attention turned back to his sister. "I saw you jump back from Lily. What did you see?"  
  
"Dark images. She was abducted. Thrown in a van. Someone she trusted betrayed her and there was a young boy. I think she was friends with him. He was protectively holding her in a dark vehicle after she was taken. Do you think we should try and wake her?" Becky asked concerned.  
  
Jarod looked at Lily. "I don't want her to be in pain, but maybe we have to let the memories come through. Let's let her sleep. You can keep tabs on her?" Jarod asked hoping Becky would understand that he meant with her gift. Becky shook her head yes, but still had a worried look on her face. "I don't want to put you in an awkward position, but I need to get to my laptop."  
  
"I have never out right disobeyed Joan, but I don't think we have a choice. Later, you'll go to your office and I'll meet you there with your computer. If I can pull this off, this is more of a Lily mission." Becky looked at her sister with sadness in her heart.  
  
**************************  
  
The next thing adult Lily could see was the children being moved into the Centre. They were taken onto an elevator that took them underground - SL 27. When the elevator doors opened, Lily saw Raines standing there. The children were moved past Raines as he instructed the men as to what rooms the children were to go into. Lily and Bobby walked side by side until the man pulled Lily towards a big steel door. "No! I don't want to go in there." She struggled to get free of the man's grip.  
  
"Leave her alone!" Yelled Bobby as he tried to pull free from the man that had taken a hold of him. He saw the man pushing Lily into the room.  
  
"Get her in there." Raines ordered as he approached the situation. "I want the two of them kept apart. I want no deterrents to the experiments. Put him in 27D"  
  
Lily saw Bobby standing in the hall past the guard. Tears started to fall from her eyes as the man closed and locked the door. She started yelling and kicking the door. She could hear them take Bobby away. She slid down the door. The room she was in had modest furnishings. A bed, dresser, a table with various items on them, what looked like a screen she had seen in the movie theater and in the corners of the room - cameras. She was being watched. Lily climbed up on the bed and pulled her knees up to her chest and rocked.  
  
************************  
  
"Damn this place." Parker went to push the files off the desk when she heard a knock on the door to Dr. Stedman's office. "Why not. Come in." Parker said frustrated over the lack of control of her privacy she was experiencing.  
  
Dr. Stedman opened the door and came into the room. "I heard a little turmoil in here. Is everything all right?"  
  
"Just peachy." Parker retorted.  
  
"I'm sensing that you are having some trouble adjusting to life here. And maybe the lack of control you are use to?" Stedman began. "The people here are use to working together and being a team. You have come to depend on and isolated yourself in life. From what I have been able to find out, you have associated mostly with Sydney and a man called Mr. Broots."  
  
Parker looked at Stedman. "You said Sydney's name like you know him. Was he a part of your operation here?"  
  
"No. Sydney was not part of your mother's operation, just his brother Jacob. I assume that is why the Centre eliminated Jacob." A sadness came over Stedman's voice.  
  
Parker picked up on the tone and it clicked. "You were close to Jacob, weren't you? And I mean not on just a professional level. You two doing the horizontal mambo?"  
  
"Melissa Catherine Parker!" Stedman's tone turned harsh. "It would do you good to remember respect for your elders. What would your mother think?!"  
  
Parker was taken aback as if Stedman had slapped her in the face. No one had called her by her full name since her mother died. "I prefer Miss Parker."  
  
"What. Hanging onto your father's pet name? Your mother preferred Missy, but then I guess you don't remember that. She never liked that your father made your name sound so formal. He always said that it was a family name." Stedman moved over to the picture. "She wanted such a different life for you. To have you grow up loved. To become an intelligent, independent, and well adjusted young woman. Well I guess she got part of her wish."  
  
"What do you know of me?! You don't know me at all! I come here and you act like you have known me my whole life." Parker angrily yelled back.  
  
Stedman whipped around to face Parker. "Ok Missy. You want a pissing contest; well then here you go. Who do you think planted the seed that got you out of the Centre and off to boarding school after your mother died? Who do you think kept your father so busy that he never had time to think about bringing you back? Who kept you safe from having done to you what they were doing to Jarod?"  
  
Parker's eyes pierced through Stedman. "You have been monitoring me?"  
  
"Your mother was one of the best friends I have ever had in my whole life. Your father would have destroyed you, if he hasn't already. The only thing he ever cared about more than himself was the Centre. But I wasn't the only one watching. His people were there - always. So much so that I never had a chance to save you and bring you here. I could never fulfill the promise I made to your mother."  
  
Parker started to hear the voices in her head again. Her mother's voice was strong and angry. "She is telling me to believe you. You promised my mother that if anything happened to her, you would bring me here. And Jarod."  
  
"It's a shame that you didn't learn to use your Inner Sense prior to the last couple of years. It could have helped you better understand what was going on around you. Yes I promised your mother, but security became too tight. I eventually had to pull most of my operatives out of there and bring them to Angel's Hope. There was no way they were going to ever let go of the two of you. After reading your mother's files I understood why." Stedman was trying to get Parker to open up just a little.  
  
"Raines had manipulated our DNA. We were his prized specimens. But why was I allowed to leave and Jarod not?"  
  
"According to the files in front of you, different children were set up for different experiments. You were set to go through the disintegration of emotional bonding compounded by external stimuli."  
  
"Speak English." Parker retorted.  
  
"Raines had a theory. That children could be made to forget their moral souls and without regret perform immoral acts. He tried various methods; drugs, electroshock therapy, sound, stimuli reinforcement. With you it was lack of affection. Not that your father had a heart for anything but the Centre."  
  
Parker tried to digest what she was being told. She had known ever since the discovery of Kyle and Alex that Raines had an agenda of his own, but her father.. "Are you trying to tell me that my father purposely showed lack of affection to me?"  
  
Joan thought for a moment and went over to the files. She ruffled through till she found the file marked "PARKER, M." She opened the folder. "Everything is here. I can't say for sure that your father knew what Raines was doing. But it seems that nothing happened in the Centre that the two did not know about." She thought a moment longer. "It may be Missy, I mean Miss Parker, that your father was incapable of showing affection. He hardly showed Catherine any affection at all once they were married. "  
  
Parker thought for a moment. "That file doesn't show everything. He's not my father."  
  
"What?" Stedman asked shocked.  
  
"In December, when Jarod and I were on the Island of Carthis, I found out that my real father was Raines." She felt nauseous just thinking about it. "Daddy...is really my uncle."  
  
"When she was trying to get pregnant and doing the invitrofertilization, Raines switched..?" Stedman was trying to fathom what Parker was telling her.  
  
"Yes. Sydney and Broots discovered that my father had a very slim chance of ever siring a child."  
  
"So you and your brother are William Raines' children? But that doesn't make any sense? How could the scrolls be right if you aren't a Parker?"  
  
"I am still a Parker Dr. Stedman. William Raines is Robert Parker's brother."  
  
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Angelo was frantically running around the room, papers flying around everywhere when Sydney walked into the room. The Sweepers had informed him that Angelo had become upset and that no one could get close enough to him to find out what was wrong."  
  
"Angelo. What is the matter?" Sydney asked trying to get the man's attention.  
  
Angelo stopped and sat in the middle of the floor with his knees up to his chest. "I need the angel. The angel was here."  
  
Sydney got down to Angelo's level and kept his voice at a monotone level. "Angelo. Did someone try to contact you?" Sydney was curious as to how Angelo had seen his angel.  
  
"Saw the angel. The angel is my sister. With Jarod."  
  
"Angelo. Did you hear from Jarod?" Sydney was trying to keep the conversation low so that the cameras would not pick up what they were saying.  
  
Angelo looked up at Sydney. "No. Sister can contact me here." Angelo pointed to Sydney's temple. "But now she is gone."  
  
"Angelo, you don't have a sister. We proved that Miss Parker wasn't your sister."  
  
"The angel is my sister. She can talk to me. I can talk to her. But now she is gone. Gone!" Angelo jumped back up and started running around again.  
  
Sydney stood watching what Angelo was doing. Angelo took a piece of paper and started drawing something. Sydney walked over and looked at the drawing over Angelo's shoulder.  
  
"Sister." Angelo said handing Sydney the picture.  
  
Sydney looked at the picture. "Gemini" followed by an angel. "Angelo. Are you trying to tell me that you have a twin? An empathic twin?"  
  
"Angel was here. She went with Jarod. Now angel is gone."  
  
Sydney had read Lyles report. It had said that there was a group of people at the spot where Jarod and Miss Parker had been abducted. "Angelo. Can I please keep this?" Sydney folded the paper and put it discretely in his pocket. "We'll talk again soon Angelo. Let me know if you see the angel anymore. OK?"  
  
Angelo shook his head in agreement and went back to drawing pictures of angels. Sydney exited the room and ran face to face with Mr. Raines.  
  
"So what was getting Angelo so upset?" Raines wheezed.  
  
"He is not making any sense. Just talking about angels." Sydney replied hoping that no one had seen him put the piece of paper in his pocket.  
  
"You wouldn't keep anything from me now. Would you Sydney?" Raines questioned not believing what he had been told.  
  
"Of course not. Anyway, he's calm now." Sydney kept it short and sweet.  
  
"I think I will be keeping an eye on Angelo." Raines headed down the hallway dragging his air tank behind him.  
  
Sydney thought to himself. "I wish I had been a better shot."  
  
************************  
  
Lily knew that in the subconscious of her mind that time held no control. Images jumbled past her, around her. And music, sound. At times deafening to Lily's unconscious ears. She could see herself as a growing child in that sparse room. Loud music or tones were pumped into the room. She would hold her ears and try not to listen, but the whole time the whispers came through - "You decide who lives or dies", "Kill", "Destroy". Images of people being shot, images of the destruction of cities, and other horrible visions that a child should never have to see. Lily was curled in a ball at times. Trying to keep the voices out of her head, mentally taking herself someplace where they couldn't touch her. Mumbling to herself.  
  
Lily found herself as a bystander looking in. She was trying to read the child's lips, but on another level already knew what she was saying - "I will not fear evil."  
  
Other times were spent working on problems and puzzles. Each one more complex than the other, her intelligence being tested. Sometimes being given situations and then being asked what the outcome would be. Raines had called them "simulations". And being hurt if the answer was not what Dr. Raines' wanted. Drugs pumped into her continually. And more voices. Electroshock.  
  
But then there were times when she had figured out ways to get out of her room and Bobby his. They had even found Timmy. But in the end the guards would find them and they would be separated again. The last time she had seen him, a guard had come to get her. He was also being led down the hall as well as Timmy. But Timmy had changed. There was sadness in his eyes and he wasn't making full sentences. Lily positioned herself next to Bobby.  
  
"What happened to Timmy?" Lily whispered to Bobby.  
  
"I was being brought to my room and I saw Mrs. Parker run in the room down the hall screaming his name. The room where they do the tests. Then they shoved me in my room. I think they hurt him bad. I could hear Mrs. Parker crying his name."  
  
"Be quiet you two." The guard boomed behind them.  
  
Lily dropped her head and whispered, "Timmy. Are you OK?"  
  
"No more Timmy. Angelo. Timmy gone."  
  
Lily looked across at Bobby with questioning in her eyes and then back to Timmy. "Your name is Timmy."  
  
"Angelo. I have to remember Angelo he said. No more Timmy."  
  
"Bobby. They're making him forget who he is. They did something to him." Lily said knowing that they were heading for the room that Angelo was just talking about. "I want to know who I am."  
  
"I'm not going in there." Bobby pronounced as he tried to push the guard away. The man, being caught off guard, tumbled into the other man behind Lily. The third tried to stop the first two and everyone just became a big tumbled mess. Lily and Timmy were thrown against the wall.  
  
Timmy grabbed Lily's hand and started running with her. One of the guards tried to get up to follow, but Bobby caught him in the foot. Lily turned to go back to help. "Run!" Bobby screamed while trying to get out of the tangle himself. "Don't wait for me." He was pummeling the guards with his fist with anger that was coming deep from within his soul.  
  
The two children looked around the hallway. There was a secure elevator that would give them no escape and the other direction would take them back to their room wing. "Where are we going to go?" Lily asked frantically looking around the hall and a way to get out of the Centre. Timmy opened one of the doors. All the room contained was paint cans and step stools. He pulled one of the stools into the hallway. "Timmy, what are you doing?"  
  
He reached up and started pulling on the grate, which loosened and swung up. "This way." He helped Lily up into the air vent and then pulled himself up. Timmy looked up and saw Bobby running down the hallway, but somehow knew the guards weren't far behind him. Timmy pulled up the ladder and used it to jam the grate closed.  
  
Bobby saw the grate close. He jumped up trying to grab the grate. "Timmy! Bring down the ladder!" Bobby saw the door ajar and started for another ladder when the guards surrounded him and started pushing him down. "Help me!" Bobby screamed staring into Timmy's eyes with anger.  
  
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The game of friendship. Certain moves bring people closer. Other moves tear them apart. Can a damaged player survive? It's all up to Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope 


	17. Lost & Found

DICLAIMER: There's lots of stuff in this that I don't own, but unless you really are looking to sue me for intellectual theft, you just need to know that this story is a Pretender fanfic.  
  
OK gang here is chapter 17 CORRECTED. I had it posted twice in the same chapter.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you guys for your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. They also help me feel out where you think the story should go. I'm putting most of my focus on this fic while I recover from back surgery. I hope you guys can bear with me if it starts to get difficult. Now, on to the story.  
  
The game of friendship. Certain moves bring people closer. Other moves tear them apart. Can a damaged player survive? It's all up to Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope  
  
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Bobby saw the grate close. He jumped up trying to grab the grate. "Timmy! Bring down the ladder!" Bobby saw the door ajar and started for another ladder when the guards surrounded him and started pushing him down. "Help me!" Bobby screamed staring into Timmy's eyes with anger.  
  
Lily went to push past Timmy to help, but Timmy put his hand over her mouth and pushed her further into the ventilation system. "Can't help him now." Timmy whispered with sadness in his eyes and Lily knew that he was right.  
  
"Help me!" She could hear Bobby scream as tears were rolling down her face. She was filled with grief and anger. Lily and Timmy crawled further into the ventilation system.  
  
"We have to go back and get him Timmy." Lily said curled up against the ventilation wall rocking on her heels.  
  
"Too dangerous." Timmy replied looking into Lily's face. He ran his hand down her face. "Have to stay safe. You're special." Timmy got her calmed. A little farther down the shaft, there was a grate leading to an office. The children climbed down, standing on a desk to do so. The room was dark. The two were crossing the room, when the door opened. Both gasped as the light got turned on.  
  
"Oh my God. There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you two. How did you get in here?" Dr. Jacob asked as he quickly closed the door. "You two have turned things into quite a mess. Are you all right?"  
  
Both children shook their heads yes, though there was fear in their eyes and they were backing away. "We're not going back! You can't make us go back! I'd rather die first." Lily said defiantly as she put herself in front of Timmy.  
  
"Lily it's OK. I'm here to help you." Jacob tried to approach them as to not to provoke them.  
  
Lily eyed him suspiciously. "You were there when the Boogeyman hurt me. You were there running those simulations. You don't want to help us, you want to take us back."  
  
"Lily. Mrs. Parker sent me to find you. We have been looking everywhere. We want to get you out of this place. But we have to act quickly. Do you remember simulation 415?"  
  
Lily shook her head yes. "It was the one where the man escaped the enemy camp by pretending he was dead. But it was really a chemical compound that slowed his heart rate. What does that have to do with us?"  
  
"If we can do the same thing to you, then we can move you out of the Centre." Jacob knelt down. "Dr. Raines will think that you are dead and then we can take you someplace that is so wonderful you'll never want to leave. A special place."  
  
"I don't believe you. You just want us to trust you and then you'll take us back to our rooms. Or worse, to the room where they hurt Timmy." Lily was not going to back down.  
  
"We're trying to keep you out of there. If Raines catches you right now, you are going to be brought straight to that room Lily. I am offering you freedom." He tried to look into her eyes so she could see his sincerity. But what he saw in hers was cold fear. She had been hurt far too long for her to trust anyone, let alone himself. There was only one person she was going to trust. He got back up to his feet and proceeded to the door. The children ran to the back of the room waiting for him to call a guard, but instead he beckoned someone in a very low tone. In through the door came Catherine Parker.  
  
"You found them. Thank the Heavens. Oh children I was so worried about you." She went over to them. "Are you all right?" She checked over them to make sure that they were physically all right. She turned back towards Jacob. "We have to get them out of here. If Dr. Raines finds her, I won't be able to stop him."  
  
"I know Catherine, but they won't let me near them." Jacob tried explaining. "I've told Lily what our plan was, but she doesn't believe me."  
  
Catherine turned back to the children. "Would you believe me? I just want to get you out of here and somewhere where no one will be able to harm you ever again."  
  
Angelo went over and hugged Catherine's waist. "I believe you. You love us."  
  
Catherine could see the guard come down a little from Lily. "All right. The first thing we need to do is get the two of you out of here."  
  
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"William Raines is Robert Parker's brother. The only sibling I knew about was Elizabeth. How could Raines be your father's brother?" Joan questioned.  
  
"When Raines was born, he was sickly. My grandfather arranged for a death certificate to be made and then put him up for adoption. I'm not sure how they got together or for how long Daddy knew that he had a brother." Parker explained sorrowfully. Even with all his flaws, she still wished that Robert Parker were her real father.  
  
"That would explain a lot. And if my calculations are correct Miss Parker, then their alliance has been for a very long time. As far back as I can remember Raines and Parker have been together at the Centre. I know that Raines was brought on board when your grandfather died."  
  
"Just happened that my grandfather died as Raines was brought on board. Not." Parker turned her head to the left trying to conceal her disgust with what she concluded. "Nothing happens by coincidence at the Centre."  
  
"I guess then what you have to decide is whether your loyalty to the Centre outweighs your duty to help change the wrongs that have been done over the years. Including your mother's death." Joan was putting the ultimatum in front of her. "I know that you agreed with Jarod to stay here so that we wouldn't erase your memory and that Jarod was already plotting how to get himself out of here until everything happened with Lily."  
  
"Are we that transparent?" Parker asked flippantly.  
  
"It's what I would be doing if the situation was reversed. I was hoping that if I could keep you here long enough, then you would learn what your mother was trying to achieve. Then you'd want to stay for yourself, not because we made you." Joan had sincerity in her eyes. "Your mother wanted this to be her legacy to you."  
  
"You wanted me to stay? I would have thought that Jarod would have been your best catch. Being the genius and all."  
  
"But you are as much his equal and you were meant to be here. If Jarod had been brought here as a child, he would have been returned back to his parents. Now they could have stayed if they needed sanctuary or if his parents had wanted to join our research group. But you were meant to grow up here with your mother. That was always her plan. And when the time came, the work here was meant to be handed over to you."  
  
Parker got up and looked at her mother's picture. "She would have put me in direct opposition to my father."  
  
Joan came to stand next to her. "Remember she had the information from your great grandfather. She knew what he believed from the scrolls. I know she had researched the religious aspects of the Sepastian monks and was very disturbed at what she found. The group that your great grandfather associated with she suspected dealt with the occult. Being very religious, she didn't want you to be exposed to any of what might have been handed down to your father."  
  
"She believed in what the scrolls said?" Parker asked confused that her mother, being an intelligent woman, believed in the scrolls.  
  
"I'm not so sure that she believed in what they said, but what your father believed. He believed they would bring him greater power. And I believe that he saw that this power could be attained through you and Jarod." Joan looked into Parker's saddened eyes. She turned and retrieved the file from the desk. "Read the notes and files. It will bring you closer to her." Joan turned and started for the door to her office. "And if you want anyone to talk to, I'm just a door away." Joan went into her office.  
  
Parker opened the file. She started to read aloud. "Parker, Melissa Catherine. Sex: Female Parents: Catherine and Robert Parker, Jr. Yeah right." She slammed the file on her leg. She thought for a moment and reopened the file. "Project name: Prodigy" Parker saw that her mother had hand written a note to the side. "Prodigy - information found. Project is the creation of Pretenders/Super Assassins."  
  
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Becky approached the Equipment Storage Room clutching her shoulder bag. People were walking up and down the hall and she said hello and made pleasant talk. She looked both ways up and down the corridor and pulled the key contraption that Lily had made out of her bag. Becky had gotten the second device from where Lily said she had hidden it. She slid the key into the slide slot. Lily had told her while they were walking that she had made two of the key machines in case one had ever been found. She typed in Joan's name and waited for the machine to click open the lock. In what seemed like years, as her heart was racing, the door buzzed open. "Sssssh." She told the door as she turned the knob and opened the door to slip in. She was sure security was going to get her any minute. She went over to the shelves and started looking for a box marked with Jarod's name. She knew that they had located his hotel room and had confiscated his belongings. She found the boxes and pulled one to the floor. She opened the box and started looking through it. It was mostly the clothing that he had been brought in with. She held up the leather pants - "Ooh he must look good in these." She shook her head - "Stop that. Get back to business." She ruffled through to the bottom of the box and found Jarod's laptop. She opened her bag and slid the computer into it. She straightened the box and put it back on the shelf. She picked up the bag and put it over her shoulder. She went to the door, opened it, and peeked out.  
  
"Coast clear. I feel like Jane Bond." She walked down the hall and went to the elevator. She got off and proceeded to her room. Once inside, she laid on the bed in relief. Her first covert operation was a success. There was a knock on the door and Becky held her breath. They had decided to meet in her room rather than one of the offices. She put the bag under her bed and went to answer the door. Jarod was standing there with his guard.  
  
"Jarod. Hi. What a surprise." Becky said over acting the scene.  
  
Jarod looked at her. "I came to discuss next week's assignments."  
  
"Sure. Come on in." Becky pulled Jarod into the room, smiled at Fred, and closed the door. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack. But now I understand what Lily likes about it. It's a definite adrenaline rush." She knelt next to the bed and got the bag that held Jarod's laptop. She pulled it out and handed it to him. "We can unplug my computer over here." Becky pushed a button and the bookcase moved apart and a computer station was revealed.  
  
"Unique." Jarod found the connection and plugged in his laptop. He started accessing his e-mail account. There were various messages. A few from Carlyle which made Jarod roll his eyes. For the first time he was glad to be at Angel's Hope and nowhere near that man. Then he spotted the e-mail from Angelo. "Must stop Gemini Succession Project." Another read, "A Princess in trouble." Jarod looked at the screen. "Gemini Succession Project? I don't understand Angelo. Who's in trouble?"  
  
Becky decided to try something. She touched the computer screen and Jarod's arm. She could see what Angelo saw when he typed the e-mail. "He sees a young woman. Brown hair. Close to Miss Parker. Deb....Deb..Deboots? That doesn't make any sense."  
  
"It makes sense to me. Debbie Broots. Debbie's in trouble from the Centre." Jarod was just about to e-mail back, when the door opened.  
  
Both Jarod and Becky turned to see Joan standing in the doorway. "I thought I could trust at least you Becky." Becky lowered her head. "Why would you directly disobey me? And you used my code to break into the Equipment Storage Room. Hand the key card machine over."  
  
Becky went to the bag and pulled out Lily's invention. She walked over and handed it to Joan. "I received a link from Angelo. There is trouble at the Centre for a young lady that Jarod and Miss Parker know. I couldn't just sit and do nothing."  
  
Joan looked sternly at her. "You could have asked me if you could access whatever Jarod was looking in to."  
  
"It's my secure e-mail account Dr. Stedman. No one would be able to trace it back to here. There is a man that works at the Centre named Broots. The Centre must be targeting his daughter. Miss Parker and I found his name as one of the children that the Centre manipulated. I asked Becky to get my computer because if something was wrong, Angelo would e-mail me."  
  
"Becky. You can connect with Angelo? Does he know who you are?" Joan's face had turned from anger to worry.  
  
"I'm not sure if he understands. Jarod says that his gift isn't as developed as mine is. That he gets more imagery and feelings. But I do believe that he now knows that I am his sister."  
  
"Then we have trouble. If Angelo knows that you exist, then how long will it take before Raines finds out." Joan turned to the guards behind her. "Go to code level red. I want the sub levels secured. Alert Security Captain Moore that Silence has been breached. I want our Centre agents to keep their eyes open for any mobilization."  
  
"Dr. Stedman. Angelo would never reveal Becky to Raines." Jarod tried to calm her.  
  
"Would he tell Sydney?" Joan said as she turned to face Jarod. "I'm sure that Sydney at this point has been trying to locate you using Angelo. And if Angelo tells Sydney, then there is a possibility that Raines and Lyle will find out."  
  
"I'm sure that Sydney is taking every precaution to isolate his conversations with Angelo. He wouldn't want Mr. Raines finding me before he did." Jarod had confidence in Sydney's ability to work around Raines' system of moles.  
  
"I've already spoken to Sydney when you and Miss Parker arrived. Though he knows nothing of Angel's Hope, he knows that you are in my custody." Joan's mind was moving a mile a minute trying to think of things that she was going to have to do.  
  
"You've spoken to Sydney?" Jarod was shocked that Dr. Stedman would break her security to call him, but realized that the situation warranted his opinion. He had been the leading force the majority of Jarod's life and for the last six years of Parker's.  
  
Joan motioned for one of the guards to take Jarod's computer.  
  
"You can't take that! You don't understand. I can't let anything happen to Debbie Broots. Her father is a good man and if anything happened to her...." Jarod pleaded.  
  
"Stop right there Jarod. Yes, I've spoken to Sydney. I wanted his opinion on how to handle Miss Parker among other things. Second. I understand you're concern for this Debbie Broots, but I have to think about the security of this facility. I will have my people monitor for anything they can about her, but I can't allow e-mails to leave this facility. Especially if they are going to the Centre."  
  
The guard had disconnected the computer and took it from the room. Jarod went to approach him, but the other two guards made themselves known. Jarod backed off.  
  
Joan faced Becky. "Becky. You and I will have a discussion later. Right now I have to get to my office. And your privileges have been revoked." She went to exit through the door and turned back around. "Frank will be here now to escort you wherever you go. Also, the key lock will be installed by the end of the day." Joan turned and left the room. Frank closed the door.  
  
"I'm sorry I got you in trouble Becky." Jarod said as he reconnected Becky's original computer connection.  
  
"I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered. I guess I'm not as 007 as I thought. I just wish I were unconscious like Lily. I'm not sure I want to have that conversation later with Joan." Becky went, sat on her bed, and let herself fall backwards.  
  
"I have to figure out a way to find out what Angelo knows about Debbie Broots. But for now, I guess I'll go check back on Lily. Again, I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Dr. Stedman."  
  
"I was in trouble the minute Lily and I left Angel's Hope. So much for my life of adventure. Maybe I should stick with music." Jarod laughed and left to go see Lily.  
  
*************************  
  
Lily was tossing and turning in her bed as the dream continued.  
  
Young Lily looked up at Catherine Parker. "I will do what you ask, but we have to go back and get Bobby. They caught him in the corridor before he could come with us. We need to go get him first." Lily saw the troubled look on Jacob and Catherine's faces. "What happened to Bobby?"  
  
Catherine looked at Jacob and Jacob nodded a yes response to Catherine. She knelt down to Lily's level. "I want you to trust me, so I am going to tell you the truth. I'm so sorry Lily. I know that you and Bobby have formed a friendship. But when the three of you escaped, Dr. Raines got very upset. He had Bobby moved immediately to another facility. We have no way of getting to him now."  
  
Lily became upset. "We have to find him. Look what they did to Timmy. They are going to do something to him. They were going to try to do it to me too. I have got to find Bobby!" Lily pushed past Catherine, but Jacob caught her.  
  
Jacob grabbed her in a bear hug as she thrashed to get loose. "Lily you have to calm down. Take deep breaths. I know that right now you feel a lot of anger surging through you. Dr. Raines put a device in you that is motivating you to feel that way. If you don't calm down, then Dr. Raines' men are going to find us. Now breathe." Lily remembered the surgery. She started taking deep breaths and Jacob could feel her relax a little. "Good. Catherine, is Manning in place for the exchange?"  
  
"I had him on standby. I'll inform Gary that we have to act quickly. Can you explain to the children what we are doing?"  
  
Jacob motioned yes to Catherine and she quietly slipped out of the room. "Ok children this is what we are going to do......"  
  
And then there was a change in scenery. Lily was looking at a hallway in the Centre. She could see herself and Timmy walking down the hall. They were very nervous. Jacob was standing with a tall man that had a gun further up the hall. The man was aiming the gun, when Raines appeared to Timmy's right. He grabbed the boy. Timmy was pulling to try and get free, but Raines tightened his grasp on him. Jacob was yelling at Raines as he started running up the hall, but motioning to Lily to run. Lily started to run and the man with the gun fired at her, hitting her in the center of the back. Lily went flying to the floor, as Raines screamed no. Jacob passed Raines and Timmy and went to Lily.  
  
"You've killed her." He yelled at Raines. He lifted her motionless body. "I'm taking her to the Infirmary."  
  
Raines tried to get to her, but Timmy started squirming and got loose enough to kick Raines in the shin. After screaming obscenities, he handed Timmy off to one of the guards. He looked up to realize that Jacob had already taken Lily's body.  
  
Next Lily watched as Jacob carried the small girl into the Infirmary. Catherine Parker was waiting there. "What happened? Where is Timmy?" Catherine Parker asked as she could see a half conscious Lily.  
  
"Raines came out of nowhere. Grabbed Timmy. But he is right at my heels; will the drug work fast enough for simulated death? She was still semi- conscious when I grabbed her." He laid Lily on the table.  
  
Another man in doctor's clothing came up next to them. He took out a stethoscope and listened to Lily's chest as she could feel herself what the child was feeling. Panic as her heart beat slowed. "It's starting to take effect now." She could see to her side another little girl lying on another table. And that was the last thing she remembered.  
  
Adult Lily was standing in the darkness of her nightmare. In her mind she could hear herself screaming. "What did you do to me?! Why didn't you save us all! Why am I here and they're not! Why did you do this to me?" It was the child trapped in a drug that simulated death, but left her mind fully working. She had heard the doctor's explanation to Raines as to the cause of her death. The sheet pulled over her head.  
  
Jacob secretly taking her body out of the Centre and being transported to a house where the drug wore off. The child so scared when the drug wore off and driven by the chip, that she lashed at everyone around her. Fighting for what she thought was her life. Hearing their decision to erase all the memories that had been the Centre to make her more manageable and to give her peace of mind. To take away all the darkness that Raines had forced into her. So through drug therapy, surgery, and hypnosis the memories were hidden and new ones put into place.  
  
And in her mind, Lily came face to face with the child. The child full of anger, rage, fright; who had been taken by Raines and thrown into a world of darkness. Taught to hate, to fight, and to destroy. Lily could feel her heart break. She now knew that this darkness was inside herself, had always been. Personality traits that had been created by Raines so long ago, but buried in her subconscious. Lily walked over to the little girl and embraced her.  
  
Lily opened her eyes. The room was in shadows except for a small light on her mirrored dresser. No one was in the room as she scanned around. She looked up at the IV line running into her arm and reached over and pulled the needle from its resting place. Lily carefully sat up, her head swirling a little, and swung her feet to the floor. She pushed herself up off the bed and steadied herself. She walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection.  
  
"I decide who lives or dies."  
  
************************  
  
A past becomes present. The present becomes cloudy. The future has infinite possibilities. Thus goes the game of life. The game of friendship. Certain moves bring people closer. Other moves tear them apart. Can a damaged player survive? It's all up to Fate, Truth, Trust, and Hope  
  
************************  
  
Bobby saw the grate close. He jumped up trying to grab the grate. "Timmy! Bring down the ladder!" Bobby saw the door ajar and started for another ladder when the guards surrounded him and started pushing him down. "Help me!" Bobby screamed staring into Timmy's eyes with anger.  
  
Lily went to push past Timmy to help, but Timmy put his hand over her mouth and pushed her further into the ventilation system. "Can't help him now." Timmy whispered with sadness in his eyes and Lily knew that he was right.  
  
"Help me!" She could hear Bobby scream as tears were rolling down her face. She was filled with grief and anger. Lily and Timmy crawled further into the ventilation system.  
  
"We have to go back and get him Timmy." Lily said curled up against the ventilation wall rocking on her heels.  
  
"Too dangerous." Timmy replied looking into Lily's face. He ran his hand down her face. "Have to stay safe. You're special." Timmy got her calmed. A little farther down the shaft, there was a grate leading to an office. The children climbed down, standing on a desk to do so. The room was dark. The two were crossing the room, when the door opened. Both gasped as the light got turned on.  
  
"Oh my God. There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you two. How did you get in here?" Dr. Jacob asked as he quickly closed the door. "You two have turned things into quite a mess. Are you all right?"  
  
Both children shook their heads yes, though there was fear in their eyes and they were backing away. "We're not going back! You can't make us go back! I'd rather die first." Lily said defiantly as she put herself in front of Timmy.  
  
"Lily it's OK. I'm here to help you." Jacob tried to approach them as to not to provoke them.  
  
Lily eyed him suspiciously. "You were there when the Boogeyman hurt me. You were there running those simulations. You don't want to help us, you want to take us back."  
  
"Lily. Mrs. Parker sent me to find you. We have been looking everywhere. We want to get you out of this place. But we have to act quickly. Do you remember simulation 415?"  
  
Lily shook her head yes. "It was the one where the man escaped the enemy camp by pretending he was dead. But it was really a chemical compound that slowed his heart rate. What does that have to do with us?"  
  
"If we can do the same thing to you, then we can move you out of the Centre." Jacob knelt down. "Dr. Raines will think that you are dead and then we can take you someplace that is so wonderful you'll never want to leave. A special place."  
  
"I don't believe you. You just want us to trust you and then you'll take us back to our rooms. Or worse, to the room where they hurt Timmy." Lily was not going to back down.  
  
"We're trying to keep you out of there. If Raines catches you right now, you are going to be brought straight to that room Lily. I am offering you freedom." He tried to look into her eyes so she could see his sincerity. But what he saw in hers was cold fear. She had been hurt far too long for her to trust anyone, let alone himself. There was only one person she was going to trust. He got back up to his feet and proceeded to the door. The children ran to the back of the room waiting for him to call a guard, but instead he beckoned someone in a very low tone. In through the door came Catherine Parker.  
  
"You found them. Thank the Heavens. Oh children I was so worried about you." She went over to them. "Are you all right?" She checked over them to make sure that they were physically all right. She turned back towards Jacob. "We have to get them out of here. If Dr. Raines finds her, I won't be able to stop him."  
  
"I know Catherine, but they won't let me near them." Jacob tried explaining. "I've told Lily what our plan was, but she doesn't believe me."  
  
Catherine turned back to the children. "Would you believe me? I just want to get you out of here and somewhere where no one will be able to harm you ever again."  
  
Angelo went over and hugged Catherine's waist. "I believe you. You love us."  
  
Catherine could see the guard come down a little from Lily. "All right. The first thing we need to do is get the two of you out of here."  
  
*************************  
  
"William Raines is Robert Parker's brother. The only sibling I knew about was Elizabeth. How could Raines be your father's brother?" Joan questioned.  
  
"When Raines was born, he was sickly. My grandfather arranged for a death certificate to be made and then put him up for adoption. I'm not sure how they got together or for how long Daddy knew that he had a brother." Parker explained sorrowfully. Even with all his flaws, she still wished that Robert Parker were her real father.  
  
"That would explain a lot. And if my calculations are correct Miss Parker, then their alliance has been for a very long time. As far back as I can remember Raines and Parker have been together at the Centre. I know that Raines was brought on board when your grandfather died."  
  
"Just happened that my grandfather died as Raines was brought on board. Not." Parker turned her head to the left trying to conceal her disgust with what she concluded. "Nothing happens by coincidence at the Centre."  
  
"I guess then what you have to decide is whether your loyalty to the Centre outweighs your duty to help change the wrongs that have been done over the years. Including your mother's death." Joan was putting the ultimatum in front of her. "I know that you agreed with Jarod to stay here so that we wouldn't erase your memory and that Jarod was already plotting how to get himself out of here until everything happened with Lily."  
  
"Are we that transparent?" Parker asked flippantly.  
  
"It's what I would be doing if the situation was reversed. I was hoping that if I could keep you here long enough, then you would learn what your mother was trying to achieve. Then you'd want to stay for yourself, not because we made you." Joan had sincerity in her eyes. "Your mother wanted this to be her legacy to you."  
  
"You wanted me to stay? I would have thought that Jarod would have been your best catch. Being the genius and all."  
  
"But you are as much his equal and you were meant to be here. If Jarod had been brought here as a child, he would have been returned back to his parents. Now they could have stayed if they needed sanctuary or if his parents had wanted to join our research group. But you were meant to grow up here with your mother. That was always her plan. And when the time came, the work here was meant to be handed over to you."  
  
Parker got up and looked at her mother's picture. "She would have put me in direct opposition to my father."  
  
Joan came to stand next to her. "Remember she had the information from your great grandfather. She knew what he believed from the scrolls. I know she had researched the religious aspects of the Sepastian monks and was very disturbed at what she found. The group that your great grandfather associated with she suspected dealt with the occult. Being very religious, she didn't want you to be exposed to any of what might have been handed down to your father."  
  
"She believed in what the scrolls said?" Parker asked confused that her mother, being an intelligent woman, believed in the scrolls.  
  
"I'm not so sure that she believed in what they said, but what your father believed. He believed they would bring him greater power. And I believe that he saw that this power could be attained through you and Jarod." Joan looked into Parker's saddened eyes. She turned and retrieved the file from the desk. "Read the notes and files. It will bring you closer to her." Joan turned and started for the door to her office. "And if you want anyone to talk to, I'm just a door away." Joan went into her office.  
  
Parker opened the file. She started to read aloud. "Parker, Melissa Catherine. Sex: Female Parents: Catherine and Robert Parker, Jr. Yeah right." She slammed the file on her leg. She thought for a moment and reopened the file. "Project name: Prodigy" Parker saw that her mother had hand written a note to the side. "Prodigy - information found. Project is the creation of Pretenders/Super Assassins."  
  
**************************  
  
Becky approached the Equipment Storage Room clutching her shoulder bag. People were walking up and down the hall and she said hello and made pleasant talk. She looked both ways up and down the corridor and pulled the key contraption that Lily had made out of her bag. Becky had gotten the second device from where Lily said she had hidden it. She slid the key into the slide slot. Lily had told her while they were walking that she had made two of the key machines in case one had ever been found. She typed in Joan's name and waited for the machine to click open the lock. In what seemed like years, as her heart was racing, the door buzzed open. "Sssssh." She told the door as she turned the knob and opened the door to slip in. She was sure security was going to get her any minute. She went over to the shelves and started looking for a box marked with Jarod's name. She knew that they had located his hotel room and had confiscated his belongings. She found the boxes and pulled one to the floor. She opened the box and started looking through it. It was mostly the clothing that he had been brought in with. She held up the leather pants - "Ooh he must look good in these." She shook her head - "Stop that. Get back to business." She ruffled through to the bottom of the box and found Jarod's laptop. She opened her bag and slid the computer into it. She straightened the box and put it back on the shelf. She picked up the bag and put it over her shoulder. She went to the door, opened it, and peeked out.  
  
"Coast clear. I feel like Jane Bond." She walked down the hall and went to the elevator. She got off and proceeded to her room. Once inside, she laid on the bed in relief. Her first covert operation was a success. There was a knock on the door and Becky held her breath. They had decided to meet in her room rather than one of the offices. She put the bag under her bed and went to answer the door. Jarod was standing there with his guard.  
  
"Jarod. Hi. What a surprise." Becky said over acting the scene.  
  
Jarod looked at her. "I came to discuss next week's assignments."  
  
"Sure. Come on in." Becky pulled Jarod into the room, smiled at Fred, and closed the door. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack. But now I understand what Lily likes about it. It's a definite adrenaline rush." She knelt next to the bed and got the bag that held Jarod's laptop. She pulled it out and handed it to him. "We can unplug my computer over here." Becky pushed a button and the bookcase moved apart and a computer station was revealed.  
  
"Unique." Jarod found the connection and plugged in his laptop. He started accessing his e-mail account. There were various messages. A few from Carlyle which made Jarod roll his eyes. For the first time he was glad to be at Angel's Hope and nowhere near that man. Then he spotted the e-mail from Angelo. "Must stop Gemini Succession Project." Another read, "A Princess in trouble." Jarod looked at the screen. "Gemini Succession Project? I don't understand Angelo. Who's in trouble?"  
  
Becky decided to try something. She touched the computer screen and Jarod's arm. She could see what Angelo saw when he typed the e-mail. "He sees a young woman. Brown hair. Close to Miss Parker. Deb....Deb..Deboots? That doesn't make any sense."  
  
"It makes sense to me. Debbie Broots. Debbie's in trouble from the Centre." Jarod was just about to e-mail back, when the door opened.  
  
Both Jarod and Becky turned to see Joan standing in the doorway. "I thought I could trust at least you Becky." Becky lowered her head. "Why would you directly disobey me? And you used my code to break into the Equipment Storage Room. Hand the key card machine over."  
  
Becky went to the bag and pulled out Lily's invention. She walked over and handed it to Joan. "I received a link from Angelo. There is trouble at the Centre for a young lady that Jarod and Miss Parker know. I couldn't just sit and do nothing."  
  
Joan looked sternly at her. "You could have asked me if you could access whatever Jarod was looking in to."  
  
"It's my secure e-mail account Dr. Stedman. No one would be able to trace it back to here. There is a man that works at the Centre named Broots. The Centre must be targeting his daughter. Miss Parker and I found his name as one of the children that the Centre manipulated. I asked Becky to get my computer because if something was wrong, Angelo would e-mail me."  
  
"Becky. You can connect with Angelo? Does he know who you are?" Joan's face had turned from anger to worry.  
  
"I'm not sure if he understands. Jarod says that his gift isn't as developed as mine is. That he gets more imagery and feelings. But I do believe that he now knows that I am his sister."  
  
"Then we have trouble. If Angelo knows that you exist, then how long will it take before Raines finds out." Joan turned to the guards behind her. "Go to code level red. I want the sub levels secured. Alert Security Captain Moore that Silence has been breached. I want our Centre agents to keep their eyes open for any mobilization."  
  
"Dr. Stedman. Angelo would never reveal Becky to Raines." Jarod tried to calm her.  
  
"Would he tell Sydney?" Joan said as she turned to face Jarod. "I'm sure that Sydney at this point has been trying to locate you using Angelo. And if Angelo tells Sydney, then there is a possibility that Raines and Lyle will find out."  
  
"I'm sure that Sydney is taking every precaution to isolate his conversations with Angelo. He wouldn't want Mr. Raines finding me before he did." Jarod had confidence in Sydney's ability to work around Raines' system of moles.  
  
"I've already spoken to Sydney when you and Miss Parker arrived. Though he knows nothing of Angel's Hope, he knows that you are in my custody." Joan's mind was moving a mile a minute trying to think of things that she was going to have to do.  
  
"You've spoken to Sydney?" Jarod was shocked that Dr. Stedman would break her security to call him, but realized that the situation warranted his opinion. He had been the leading force the majority of Jarod's life and for the last six years of Parker's.  
  
Joan motioned for one of the guards to take Jarod's computer.  
  
"You can't take that! You don't understand. I can't let anything happen to Debbie Broots. Her father is a good man and if anything happened to her...." Jarod pleaded.  
  
"Stop right there Jarod. Yes, I've spoken to Sydney. I wanted his opinion on how to handle Miss Parker among other things. Second. I understand you're concern for this Debbie Broots, but I have to think about the security of this facility. I will have my people monitor for anything they can about her, but I can't allow e-mails to leave this facility. Especially if they are going to the Centre."  
  
The guard had disconnected the computer and took it from the room. Jarod went to approach him, but the other two guards made themselves known. Jarod backed off.  
  
Joan faced Becky. "Becky. You and I will have a discussion later. Right now I have to get to my office. And your privileges have been revoked." She went to exit through the door and turned back around. "Frank will be here now to escort you wherever you go. Also, the key lock will be installed by the end of the day." Joan turned and left the room. Frank closed the door.  
  
"I'm sorry I got you in trouble Becky." Jarod said as he reconnected Becky's original computer connection.  
  
"I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered. I guess I'm not as 007 as I thought. I just wish I were unconscious like Lily. I'm not sure I want to have that conversation later with Joan." Becky went, sat on her bed, and let herself fall backwards.  
  
"I have to figure out a way to find out what Angelo knows about Debbie Broots. But for now, I guess I'll go check back on Lily. Again, I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Dr. Stedman."  
  
"I was in trouble the minute Lily and I left Angel's Hope. So much for my life of adventure. Maybe I should stick with music." Jarod laughed and left to go see Lily.  
  
*************************  
  
Lily was tossing and turning in her bed as the dream continued.  
  
Young Lily looked up at Catherine Parker. "I will do what you ask, but we have to go back and get Bobby. They caught him in the corridor before he could come with us. We need to go get him first." Lily saw the troubled look on Jacob and Catherine's faces. "What happened to Bobby?"  
  
Catherine looked at Jacob and Jacob nodded a yes response to Catherine. She knelt down to Lily's level. "I want you to trust me, so I am going to tell you the truth. I'm so sorry Lily. I know that you and Bobby have formed a friendship. But when the three of you escaped, Dr. Raines got very upset. He had Bobby moved immediately to another facility. We have no way of getting to him now."  
  
Lily became upset. "We have to find him. Look what they did to Timmy. They are going to do something to him. They were going to try to do it to me too. I have got to find Bobby!" Lily pushed past Catherine, but Jacob caught her.  
  
Jacob grabbed her in a bear hug as she thrashed to get loose. "Lily you have to calm down. Take deep breaths. I know that right now you feel a lot of anger surging through you. Dr. Raines put a device in you that is motivating you to feel that way. If you don't calm down, then Dr. Raines' men are going to find us. Now breathe." Lily remembered the surgery. She started taking deep breaths and Jacob could feel her relax a little. "Good. Catherine, is Manning in place for the exchange?"  
  
"I had him on standby. I'll inform Gary that we have to act quickly. Can you explain to the children what we are doing?"  
  
Jacob motioned yes to Catherine and she quietly slipped out of the room. "Ok children this is what we are going to do......"  
  
And then there was a change in scenery. Lily was looking at a hallway in the Centre. She could see herself and Timmy walking down the hall. They were very nervous. Jacob was standing with a tall man that had a gun further up the hall. The man was aiming the gun, when Raines appeared to Timmy's right. He grabbed the boy. Timmy was pulling to try and get free, but Raines tightened his grasp on him. Jacob was yelling at Raines as he started running up the hall, but motioning to Lily to run. Lily started to run and the man with the gun fired at her, hitting her in the center of the back. Lily went flying to the floor, as Raines screamed no. Jacob passed Raines and Timmy and went to Lily.  
  
"You've killed her." He yelled at Raines. He lifted her motionless body. "I'm taking her to the Infirmary."  
  
Raines tried to get to her, but Timmy started squirming and got loose enough to kick Raines in the shin. After screaming obscenities, he handed Timmy off to one of the guards. He looked up to realize that Jacob had already taken Lily's body.  
  
Next Lily watched as Jacob carried the small girl into the Infirmary. Catherine Parker was waiting there. "What happened? Where is Timmy?" Catherine Parker asked as she could see a half conscious Lily.  
  
"Raines came out of nowhere. Grabbed Timmy. But he is right at my heels; will the drug work fast enough for simulated death? She was still semi- conscious when I grabbed her." He laid Lily on the table.  
  
Another man in doctor's clothing came up next to them. He took out a stethoscope and listened to Lily's chest as she could feel herself what the child was feeling. Panic as her heart beat slowed. "It's starting to take effect now." She could see to her side another little girl lying on another table. And that was the last thing she remembered.  
  
Adult Lily was standing in the darkness of her nightmare. In her mind she could hear herself screaming. "What did you do to me?! Why didn't you save us all! Why am I here and they're not! Why did you do this to me?" It was the child trapped in a drug that simulated death, but left her mind fully working. She had heard the doctor's explanation to Raines as to the cause of her death. The sheet pulled over her head.  
  
Jacob secretly taking her body out of the Centre and being transported to a house where the drug wore off. The child so scared when the drug wore off and driven by the chip, that she lashed at everyone around her. Fighting for what she thought was her life. Hearing their decision to erase all the memories that had been the Centre to make her more manageable and to give her peace of mind. To take away all the darkness that Raines had forced into her. So through drug therapy, surgery, and hypnosis the memories were hidden and new ones put into place.  
  
And in her mind, Lily came face to face with the child. The child full of anger, rage, fright; who had been taken by Raines and thrown into a world of darkness. Taught to hate, to fight, and to destroy. Lily could feel her heart break. She now knew that this darkness was inside herself, had always been. Personality traits that had been created by Raines so long ago, but buried in her subconscious. Lily walked over to the little girl and embraced her.  
  
Lily opened her eyes. The room was in shadows except for a small light on her mirrored dresser. No one was in the room as she scanned around. She looked up at the IV line running into her arm and reached over and pulled the needle from its resting place. Lily carefully sat up, her head swirling a little, and swung her feet to the floor. She pushed herself up off the bed and steadied herself. She walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection.  
  
"I decide who lives or dies."  
  
************************  
  
A past becomes present. The present becomes cloudy. The future has infinite possibilities. Thus goes the game of life. 


	18. Resurgence

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or diseased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans.  
A past becomes present.  
The present becomes cloudy.  
The future has infinite possibilities.  
Thus goes the game of life.  
************************  
And in her mind, Lily came face to face with the child. The child full of anger, rage, fright; who had been taken by Raines and thrown into a world of darkness. Taught to hate, to fight, and to destroy. Lily could feel her heart break. She now knew that this darkness was inside herself, had always been. Personality traits that had been created by Raines so long ago, but buried in her subconscious. Lily walked over to the little girl and embraced her.  
Lily opened her eyes. The room was in shadows except for a small light on her mirrored dresser. No one was in the room as she scanned around. She looked up at the IV line running into her arm and reached over and pulled the needle from its resting place. Lily carefully sat up, her head swirling a little, and swung her feet to the floor. She pushed herself up off the bed and steadied herself. She walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection.  
"I decide who lives or dies." Lily turned to the stereo sitting next to the dresser and looked through the CD's. She picked one out and placed it in the CD player. Rock music came on as she pushed the play button and she made the volume louder.   
The door opened to the room and the nurse entered. Lily turned and was looking at the woman sternly. "Miss Lily. What are you doing out of bed? And you have removed your IV line. Let's get you back into bed and we'll get that line back in." The nurse had been moving closer to Lily.  
Lily, seeing her movement, countered by moving to the bed and rolling over the bed and landing on her feet. She steadied herself with the bed. "I'm not going back on it. No one is sticking me with any more needles. Get out of here."  
The door buzzed again and an orderly came in. "Do you need help Claudia?"  
"Bruce, Miss Lily has decided that she doesn't want to have the intravenous anymore and I was trying to convince her that it would be in her best interest to…"  
"Yes she does Bruce. I think you better take her to see Dr. Stedman." She glared at them both as they whispered to each other. "Stop talking about me like I am a mental patient. I'm getting out of here." Lily started moving quickly for the door, but was blocked by Bruce. "You really don't want to do that."  
The door buzzed and Mark came in. "Honey, you're awake. Are we having a problem Claudia?"  
Lily rolled her eyes. "Will everyone stop talking like I'm a damn five year old. I'm fine. I woke up, I didn't want that stupid IV in so I took it out, and now I would like to leave my room. IS there a problem with that?" She tried to get past Mark, but Bruce backed him up. Lily threw her hands up in the air. "Am I a prisoner now? I can't even leave my room."  
Mark still spoke in a monotone voice. "Lily, honey, we are just trying to do what is best for you. You just had surgery and need to rest. And I would like to know what is aggravating you?" Claudia had moved to the phone and was speaking in hushed tones.  
"Who is she calling? I want all of you to leave me alone. And I want the cameras out of here. I don't want to be watched or recorded anymore. Why do you have to have my every movement documented? I am not an animal. I decide what I do and don't do. And right now I am not going back into that bed. Or back on that IV. I have had enough drugs pumped into me and I'm not taking any more." Lily's voice was rising as she made her points.  
There was a knock on the door and a buzz for the door to open. Jarod came in smiling until he saw everyone's expression in the room. "What's going on?"  
Mark allowed Jarod to come past him. "Lily is just expressing her desire to not go back on the IV and that she is distressed…."  
"Will you stop the bullshit and just tell him that you are keeping me here when I really want to leave. Jarod understands that. Being kept a prisoner."  
Jarod quickly picked up on that something was wrong and cut in. "Lily. I was hoping to have some time just for the two of us to talk." Jarod turned to Mark. "Could you leave us alone for a while, if Lily's up to it?" Jarod looked at Lily.  
Lily kept her guard up, but eased a little when Jarod asked her if he could talk to her. "I'm fine." Looking at Claudia, Bruce, and Mark. "I would like to talk to my brother – alone."  
Mark looked at Jarod and he acknowledged the look. Turning to escort everyone out, "Mark, let me talk to her for a little while."  
"Jarod, she's not talking rationally." Mark tried to say under his breath.  
"I am as rational as you are." Lily retorted angrily as she stood by the stereo listening to the music play.   
Mark looked at Jarod and he motioned for Mark to leave and escorted him out the door. "We'll be fine. Just let us talk." Jarod closed the door with Mark trying to say something.   
Lily went over and tried the doorknob. Finding the door locked, she leaned her back against it and kicked the door. "Locked."  
Jarod stood in the middle of the room. "OK. What's going on Lily? What has you so upset?"  
**************************  
Mark went to the office where they were monitoring Lily's room. Joan was already standing there watching the monitor. "She woke up agitated?"   
"Yes. She had been tossing and turning in her bed Claudia reported prior to her waking up. When I came down and viewed what was going on, I viewed the footage of her waking up. I believe we have a problem." Mark went to the console and typed on the keyboard. The footage rewound and then started to play.   
Joan watched as Lily pulled the IV line out and went unsteadily to the mirror. "Mark. Did you listen to what she was saying?"  
"I didn't notice that she was speaking." Mark typed on to the keyboard again and manipulated the volume controls.   
"Dr. Stedman. We've lost visual in Lily's room. Jarod pulled out the cables." The tech said.  
Joan thought for a moment. "That's OK. Give them a while and switch to camera 2. They won't notice that one."  
Mark had finished rewinding the footage again and hit play.  
"I decide who lives or dies." Came over the audio and then the loud rock music.  
"I think that it has begun." Joan stated as Mark shook his head in agreement.   
************************  
Broots had spent all day trying to access Lyle's files. He had been unsuccessful at home. He hated tapping into Lyle or Raines' computers. He always had a mental image of an axe coming down on his head when Miss Parker had asked him to do it. But now it was personal. He knew that Debbie wasn't one to jump to conclusions. He was also running a search for companies that manufactured statues.  
Sydney came into the office. "Broots. Have you been able to locate the angel statue yet or see if Lyle had any more information about Miss Parker's disappearance? Broots." Sydney went and tapped Broots on the shoulder. "Broots."  
Broots jumped in his chair. "Sydney." He spilled out as he tried to hide what he had been working on.  
"Is there something wrong? You jumped almost to the ceiling."  
"Sydney, if I tell you something do you promise not to mention it to anyone?" Broots looked around the room.  
"Of course. Anything you say to me is confidential. What's wrong? Did you find out something about the angel figure or the project that Jarod interrupted?"  
"Sydney. Debbie thinks she is being followed. Now I took her to school this morning and didn't see anything, but she's not one to make things up. She described the car that she thought was following her in detail."  
"And you think the Centre has something to do with it?" Sydney questioned.  
"I'm not sure. What if the people that took Jarod and Miss Parker have some kind of vendetta against the Centre and they are targeting Centre personnel. Or it's the Centre itself. It's not the first time I have been targeted. I think I'm getting an ulcer." Broots held his stomach.  
"Broots. You have to keep your wits about you. You will do Debbie no good if you lose your head. Now you've told her to stay in large groups, right?"  
"Yes. I told her to stay in large groups and to never leave herself open. I was just about to leave to pick her up after I ran this last search. I don't want her to walk home right now." Just then the computer beeped, it had finished its search. Broots looked over at the screen. "Sydney. Sydney look. A match. A pair of statues were made to that specification at a company in California."  
"Then that's our lead. Maybe if we contact the company, they may still have a record of where they were shipped. But that will have to be tomorrow. You go and get Debbie now. She's more important."  
"OK, but don't you want to know where they were shipped? It might tell us where Miss Parker would be."   
"No. It can wait till tomorrow. You go and pick up Debbie. I'll close your computer down." Sydney offered.  
"Oh. Thanks Sydney. I am running late. I'll see you tomorrow." Broots got up, picked up his jacket and went out the door.   
Sydney sat down at Broot's computer and started writing down the address to where the statues were made. He took out his cell phone and dialed. "Yes, I'd like to book a flight to California. I'd like to leave this evening."  
************************   
Jarod went over to Lily. "OK. What's going on Lily? What has you so upset?"  
Lily pushed off the door and started pacing around the room. "They're treating me like a caged animal. First off – I'm tired of being watched." She pointed to the camera in the corner of the room.  
"I can rectify that." Jarod moved under the surveillance camera and pulled the wires out. "OK. So now they are not watching." Jarod saw Lily sway a little as she paced around the room. He went to sit on the bed and then decided to prop the pillows up and lay down. Lily saw what he did and stopped pacing.   
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable?" Lily said sharply.  
"Why don't you come here and we can lay down and talk. You look tired."  
"I'm fine." She said as she felt a wave of dizziness.  
"Please. I don't want to have to pick you up after you pass out on the floor." Jarod smiled.   
Lily was going to snap back, but decided that Jarod was right. She did feel drained. She went and laid down on the bed next to Jarod. They were both looking at the ceiling. "You know they are going to come buzzing in any minute like the Three Stooges because you unhooked the camera."  
"I know. Now what's really bothering you?" Jarod made sure that he kept his face up so that Lily would not feel self-conscious.  
"Maybe nothings wrong with me. Maybe I'm better now than before."  
"Who said that there was anything wrong. I asked what was bothering you?" Jarod quipped back.  
Lily didn't answer right away and gave a big breath out. "I'm remembering things. About being at the Centre. I had a whole….. existence there. It was……", she hesitated.  
"Pretty bad. I know what they did to our brother Kyle. They burned the humanity out of him. And another Pretender named Alex. He ended up having no soul. Not even the Triumvirate could control him.  
"What the hell is the Triumvirate? I know that it is part of the Centre, but who really are they?"   
"They are a group out of Africa who work in conjunction with the Tower at the Centre. They make overall decisions, though the Parkers seldom play by their rules. So the Triumvirate got a hold of Alex and created a perfect sociopath; he had no remorse for anything that he did." Jarod could feel Lily stiffen next to him. "You could never be like them. You escaped. Came here. You helped save people. You countered what they did with my simulations."  
"I don't know how to explain it." Lily tried to go on. "Have you ever seen the movie Star Wars?"  
Jarod smiled, "Yes, my young Jedi."  
Lily smiled. "OK. So you've discovered Star Wars. You know how they kept talking about the dark side. Well I know things now. How to hurt people, make them suffer, and how to kill. I'm not going to let anyone hurt me anymore. I remember all the things that Raines taught me. It's a part of me, of who I am."   
Jarod was quiet for a moment and then decided to open up. "When I first escaped from the Centre, I was curious, excited, and willing to do anything to atone for what the Centre had done with my simulations. I wanted to help people whose families were in danger or people that had been separated from their family because of someone else's wrongdoing. But then things started happening. I didn't know the real world and I didn't know who I was. I started finding out information about the Centre and about our family. For a while it looked like our father had killed Catherine Parker."  
Lily turned her head with her eyes wide open. "Had he?"  
"No. Raines committed that act. And then along came Mr. Lyle and Mr. Cox. There were two times that I thought our brother Kyle had died. First was when a van we were in rolled and the FBI fired on the van and it blew up."  
"But he was still alive?"   
"He came back later, to save me. But Lyle shot him because he was trying to shoot me. Kyle threw himself in front of me, took the bullet. He died in my arms. I donated his heart to a boy that was a blood match."  
"And you didn't kill Lyle?" Lily said with disbelief in her eyes.  
"I had to get Kyle out of there. Making the donation saved that boys life and gave purpose to Kyle's death. After that, I started to change. I realized that the world was different than I had seen it before. That there were a lot of people that had hate in their hearts. And I realized that I had begun to have hatred in my heart. I wanted revenge for the people that had been killed or hurt by these evil people. Then the Centre caught me."  
"The Centre caught you? How?" Lily asked shocked.  
"I found out that they had made a clone of me."  
"Get out of here. No one has made a successful human clone." Lily looked into Jarod's eyes. "You mean Raines actually created a viable human clone?"  
"He's with Dad now. I kidnapped Mr. Parker to exchange him for our father, but Raines showed up with a sharp shooter. He was trying to shoot Mr. Parker and hit Miss Parker instead. I told Dad to go and take the boy to safety."  
Lily was still concentrating on Jarod's eyes. "You couldn't leave her behind. Shot. Could you?"  
Jarod bit his lip. "No. I couldn't leave her behind bleeding and possibly dying. So I tried to stabilize her wound and in trying to escape on a motorcycle, they caught me."  
"But you're here. You escaped again?" Jarod shook his head in agreement. "Oh I would have loved to had seen Raines' face when he found that out."  
"But I didn't escape before Mr. Lyle tortured me. He used a battery and cables to shock me. This went on for more than a month. I used a technique I developed when I was a child. I use to go to a special place in my mind where they couldn't find me, where I couldn't feel the pain."  
"But it doesn't totally work. The aftermath is still there. The hatred is still there for having to go through it in the first place. It ends up that you can't stay there forever. Eventually you have to come out and face reality." Lily was looking back up at the ceiling.  
"How did you know?" Then Jarod thought about what Sydney told him about Jacob and how they knew things about each other at times. "I think that maybe we have been able to feel each others pain and sorrow. It probably didn't help that we were going through similar circumstances."  
"I don't know about that. I just know that's how I dealt with what Raines' was doing to me." Lily pushed herself up on her arms and looked at the door. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." Lily got off the bed and started looking around the room.  
"What's wrong Lily?" But Jarod already knew what she was looking for.  
After Lily had spun around the room a few times concentrating on the walls and furnishings, she stopped dead in the middle. "I know you are watching and listening. So hear this. I am not a lab rat! You will let me out of here. And if it's the last thing I do, I am going to make William Raines pay for what he did to me!"  
************************  
The Game of Life  
Your car must travel a winding road.  
Full of pitfalls and prosperities.  
At some time you will come to the end of the road.  
But only if you can keep from crashing and burning.  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or diseased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. 


	19. Turn Of The Wheel

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or diseased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans.  
  
The Game of Life  
Your car must travel a winding road.  
Full of pitfalls and prosperities.  
At some time you will come to the end of the road.  
But only if you can keep from crashing and burning.  
************************  
"What's wrong Lily?" But Jarod already knew what she was looking for.  
After Lily had spun around the room a few times concentrating on the walls and furnishings, she stopped dead in the middle. "I know you are watching and listening. So hear this. I am not a lab rat! You will let me out of here. And if it's the last thing I do, I am going to make William Raines pay for what he did to me!"  
Jarod got up off the bed and stood next to his sister. "And I'm going to help her. We're not going to let any more children get hurt because of Raines' quest for power. Especially not Debbie Broots."  
Lily looked at Jarod. "Who's Debbie Broots?"  
"She's the daughter of……" Jarod started when the door buzzed.  
Joan opened the door with Mark right behind her and Bruce behind him. "I think that Lily needs her rest right now Jarod. Miss Parker is in her mother's office and I think she may need you right now. Fred can escort you to her office and dinner will be ready in an hour." Fred came into the room to gently, but firmly pull Jarod out of the room. Jarod shot Fred a look, but decided this was not the time for a fight. He could see Lily starting to build to a rage.  
"No. I want answers! Who is Debbie Broots?" Lily screamed as Mark blocked her from following Jarod. "Let me go! I want to talk to my brother!" She pushed Mark backwards and was intercepted by Bruce. Being more her equal and Lily being weak, she was stopped just before the doorway. The door closed separating herself from Jarod. "Let go of me!" Bruce gently pushed her backwards. "Why are you keeping me from learning who this Debbie Broots is?"  
Joan tried to calm her. "Lily. It's not that we are keeping you from finding out who she is. It's that we are concerned that you are healed first. With all this movement you are going to pull your stitches out."   
Mark looked at Lily more sternly. "With all this fuss, you're going to short circuit that chip. Now please can you calm yourself?"  
Lily stepped away from them shaking her head. "My health. My chip. Let's just cut to the chase. You don't want me leaving here because you two think that this little chip is going to pop and I'm going to tell someone about Angel's Hope. So why don't you tell me exactly what this chips does and how it controls me."  
************************  
Jarod banged his fist on Lily's door. He didn't want to leave her this way, but knew that Dr. Stedman was not going to allow him back in. Fred looked at him as if he thought he was going to have to restrain Jarod. But Jarod backed away from the door and went to the elevator. Dr. Stedman had said that Parker needed him. What had she discovered in her mother's office? He got off on the office level and proceeded to Catherine Parker's office. He knocked on the door and heard Parker say to come in. He peeked his head in and saw Parker sitting at the desk. The light illuminating her soft skin, her long brown hair. He could feel emotions stirring inside him every time he looked at her. What he had told Lily was true – no matter how much she pushed him away, he was in love with her.  
"Jarod. Keeping yourself busy all day?" Parker didn't have her normal wittiness.  
"More like getting into trouble all day. First, Becky and I tried to get my lap top."  
Parker raised her eyebrows. "Did you get it? Can we contact Sydney or Broots?"  
Jarod looked at her suspiciously. "I had it. Dr. Stedman must have enhanced the security features of the facility since Lily and Becky left and we got caught." He thought for a moment before continuing. "Why are you so anxious to contact the Centre. After everything that we have found out here, I thought that you would at least keep their secret."  
Parker looked at him puzzled. "I don't want to turn anyone in Pez Boy. I want to warn them. Look at this."  
Jarod came over to look at the file that Parker had been reading. "What did you find?"  
"When the Prodigy project was initiated, Raines knew that the possibility of making geniuses would be a great asset for the Centre. But it was also surmised that if these geniuses were to reproduce, he would have a hybrid. A super Pretender. There are names here of children to be matched in adulthood. Look here." Parker pointed to one set of matched names. "Lyle and Bridgette were to be paired. Now if Daddy isn't my father, then he can't be Bridgette's baby's father either."  
"Then more likely Baby Parker is Lyle's and Bridgette's. The Centre's Super Pretender." Jarod surmised as he still concentrated on the names on the list. Then he spotted what he was looking for and smiled.  
"Yes, but there's more. Raines also wanted to see what would happen if the gene pool was introduced to a regular base subject. Whether the traits of the dominant gene parent would be passed on to the child. The idea was to have a secondary project to track the offspring."  
"A Gemini Succession Project. Oh no. Debbie." Terror filled Jarod's eyes as he finally realized what Angelo was trying to tell him.  
Without even knowing what Jarod was talking about, she realized when Jarod said Debbie's name that Broots was on the list of earlier children manipulated by the Centre. "Did you access your e-mail account? Is the Centre after Debbie?"  
'I received an e-mail from Angelo. All it said was that there was a Princess in danger and that I had to stop the Gemini Succession Project."  
"Before we were taken, Debbie called me to tell me she had gotten the part in her school play. Jarod – she's playing Cinderella."  
"We have got to get word out of here and warn Broots. But Dr. Stedman took my computer." Jarod's eyes lit up. "Maybe my room is like Becky's. Come on." He grabbed Parker's hand, pulling her out of her chair and toward the door.   
"What does it matter if your room is like Becky's?" Parker asked pulling back from Jarod.  
"When I was in Becky's room she had a book shelf that when pushed opened to a computer station. If I can hack into their Intranet system, I can access the Internet and reach Broots. Come on. The e-mails from Angelo were sent days ago." Jarod opened the door and proceeded to walk to the elevator with Parker. "We think we will get freshened up for dinner." Fred nodded his head as Morris stepped in line right next to the other guard.  
Jarod and Parker walked at an accelerated pace. They got onto the elevator and got off at the quarters level. The guard slid his key into the lock and buzzed Jarod into his room. Parker walked in first and then Jarod followed. Fred closed the door. Jarod went to the wall that Becky had gone to and pushed the button. The shelf unit moved aside.   
************************   
Sydney sat at the Baltimore terminal waiting for his flight. He was trying to process the events of the last few weeks. Parker and Jarod's disappearance, Angelo's strange behavior with his insistence that he had a sister, and the call from Joan after all these years. He thought about Jacob and how he had been helping Catherine Parker. More likely Joan had been involved in all this as well. Had Jarod or Miss Parker found out some information that had led them to Joan? Or had Joan located them. Had Jacob, Joan and Catherine smuggled out Angelo's sister? Everything was just so confusing.   
Sydney was so caught up in his own thoughts that he did not see the man moving up next to him. A hand came down on Sydney's shoulder. "Going somewhere Sydney?"  
Startled, Sydney looked up to see Lyle standing next to him. Angrily he replied. "Lyle. Are you following me?"   
"Sydney. Right now everyone is being followed. There are probably people following me. So where are you off to? A lead on Jarod and Miss Parker? And why not take the Centre's jet?"  
"This is a personal trip Lyle and none of your business."   
"Well I would suggest that no one take any personal trips right now. Since one of our little team members has been plucked into thin air, then I think the rest should stay close to home. Don't you agree Sydney?"  
Sydney's anger was boiling, but he knew that he had to keep a cool head or possibly expose Jarod's whereabouts. "If you think that it is for the best, then I will postpone my trip. It wasn't that important anyway."  
"I'm glad that you see things my way. We'll escort you to your car?" Lyle asked motioning to the Sweepers behind him.  
"That won't be necessary Lyle. I don't think anyone will 'pluck' me going to my car."  
"I insist. Sam, can you please escort the fine doctor back to his car?" Lyle smirked.  
Sydney picked up his briefcase and with Sam in tow went back to his car.  
As Sydney was leaving, Lyle turned to the other sweeper. "Find out where he was flying off to."   
Sam stated as Sydney was getting into his car. "I'll be following you home Sir."   
"Of course. Thank you Sam." Sydney started his car and headed for home disappointed in losing his lead.  
************************  
"Well?" Lily stood with her arms crossed across her chest. "Are you going to tell me or do I go ballistic again and tear this place apart?"  
"We told you before that the chip controls your negative emotions." Joan started, but was cut off by Lily.  
"No. I mean what does it do to me. You seem to think that every time I get angry that something is going to happen. Is there something in the chip that activates if you get too emotional? A way of controlling the person who has it?"  
Mark looked at Joan and she nodded her head for the young man to proceed. "There is a failsafe that activates to control the anger. We assume that since the chip triggers a tremendous amount of anger in the person that holds it, it was Raines' way of protecting himself from them."  
"So I get too angry and it gives me those lovely headaches and electric shocks I had earlier?" Lily looked at their stern faces.   
"Yes. But what we're more afraid of is the fact that we don't know how much of that electric shock the brain can take before there is permanent damage. So Honey, you have to stay calm. You had some pretty good jolts already."  
Lily looked at Mark square in the eyes. "Don't call me your Honey. You knew that this thing was inside me and you never once told me! Instead you conspire behind my back to keep me in the dark when if anyone here should have told me the truth, it should have been you." Lily turned away from Mark with tears swelling in her eyes.   
She could hear Raines in her head saying, "Crying is a sign of weakness. There will be no crying." She blinked the tears from her eyes.  
Mark's face dropped into a sullen look. "I never meant to……..I mean it was my job, no…….I love you."  
Lily whipped around. "Love. You lie to me and then tell me you love me. Get out!" Lily pointed at the door. "I don't love anyone. I don't need anyone. I don't want to see you here again."  
"Because you decide who lives or dies." Joan stated which acted like a slap in the face for Lily.  
Lily walked over to Joan. "I'm not going to kill anyone but Raines. Though I'm reserving judgment for those who stand in my way of taking care of that madman. Now who is Debbie Broots? And don't try to lie to me, I'll know."  
Joan took in a big breath. "She is the child of the head of the Computer Department at the Centre. Someone, so it seems, who is quite close to Miss Parker and Jarod."  
"Why would the Centre want her? What value does she have to them?" Lily was searching Joan's face for the truth.  
"Catherine Parker found out that the Centre was going to breed the children of the Prodigy project. He is a part of that project."  
"So now they want her." Lily walked around the room, the wheels of her mind working. "So what we have to do is give them something else to keep them occupied. Unless they already have her?"  
"No. Our operatives say that she has not been retrieved." Joan looked at Lily trying to figure out what she was thinking. "I see the wheels turning Lily. What do you have in mind?"  
"Please bring Victoria, Ben, Sonia, George, and Matt here. I have a plan forming." Lily said with a glint in her eyes.  
************************  
Broots had picked up Debbie without any incident. He had looked for the car that Debbie had described, but it had not been in the area. But he had been with the Centre long enough to know that the car not being in site didn't mean that they weren't there.  
He watched as Debbie broke apart the lettuce for the tossed salad that they were going to have with dinner. She had grown into such a young woman. Soon he would be teaching her to drive, see her go on her first solo date, and graduate High School. Even with all her outside activities, she still maintained a High Honor Roll status. He had just received her quarterly report card.   
"Dad. Do you want me to add oil and vinegar or are you going French tonight? Hello. Earth to Dad." Debbie waved her hand in front of her father, who shook his head slightly coming out of the daydream.  
"Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something." Broots said realizing that the grease in the pan had begun to smoke.  
"Keep that up and we will be having smoked pork chops instead of just breaded. Oil and vinegar or French?" Debbie laughed and her smile could have lit up the whole room.  
"Oil and vinegar is fine." He placed the pork chops in the pan and placed the corn on the cob in the boiling water. It was times like these that he loved being a father.   
Outside the Broots house, a man with binoculars picked up his cell phone. "Yes. She is in the residence now. I have the gas explosives. It will be an easy retrieval."   
************************  
The Game of Life can easily turn into the Game of Strategy  
A player's car can take many routes.  
Some decisions create the pitfalls.  
Others create master plans.  
Can the players master the pitfalls to achieve victory?  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or diseased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. 


	20. The Game: Act 1

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The   
Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters   
are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or   
deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to   
honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. The song Hands Clean by   
Alanis Morisette is also not my property. I just borrowed it, tweeked it, and am   
now putting it back in it's place.  
  
The Game of Life can easily turn into the Game of Strategy  
A player's car can take many routes.  
Some decisions create the pitfalls.  
Others create master plans.  
Can the players master the pitfalls to achieve victory?  
  
*************************  
Outside the Broots' house, a man with binoculars picked up his cell phone. "Yes.   
She is in the residence now. I have the gas explosives. It will be an easy   
retrieval." Inside, Broots and Debbie were setting the table. They brought their   
dinner to the table and poured themselves some orange juice.  
"So, honey. Did you notice anything strange today?" Broots asked trying to be   
non-chalant, but hoping that she would return a negative answer.  
"No. Everything went fine. No one followed me and I went to rehearsal where   
everything went as scheduled. Maybe I was wrong and let my imagination run amok.   
People following me." She laughed. "Like some big secret organization would want   
me." Broots nearly choked on his food.  
************************  
  
"Damn." Parker hit her fist on the now exposed empty desk.  
"Well I guess it was a long shot to begin with. We should have known that they   
would never allow us to have computers unsupervised." Jarod exhaled in   
frustration at looking at the empty hole. "Maybe in a while we could have gained   
Dr. Stedman's trust."  
"But we don't have months, days, maybe even hours. If the Centre wants Debbie,   
they are going to get Debbie. Unless we can warn Broots or Syd." She walked the   
room in frustration. "I won't let Raines hurt Debbie."  
"Lily has the same idea. They pushed me out of her room before I had a chance to   
tell her about Debbie."  
Parker stopped her pacing and slightly turned her head toward Jarod. "And why   
wouldn't they want Lily to know about Debbie? What are they trying to hide from   
her?"  
"I don't think it's that they don't want her to know about Debbie as much as   
they don't want her reacting about Debbie." Jarod said as he came around his bed   
and sat down. "I think there is more about those chips than they're telling us."  
"Great! And I've got one of those things in my head. What are they waiting for   
us to implode?" Parker came and sat next to Jarod on his bed.  
Jarod, noticing her proximity, took what she said and expanded. "What if they're   
not afraid of imploding, but exploding? I bet that chip can cause a person to   
become violent pretty quickly. What if they are afraid that they can't control   
her?"  
Parker, also noticing their closeness, added. "What if they are afraid that they   
can't control just her? Could they be afraid of the two of us joining forces and   
becoming a destructive force? There is strength in numbers. Dr. Stedman said   
that she had been watching me through the years, but couldn't approach me   
because the Centre always had me under watch."  
"But was the Centre watching your progress as a subject or were they watching   
you because of the chip?" Jarod's mind was racing with scenarios.  
"Or both. But we can't worry about this now, we have to find a way to contact   
Broots." Parker was frustrated with her lack of control over the situation.  
"Maybe we just have to state our case to Dr. Stedman over dinner and explain the   
urgency of her either letting us contact Broots or sending one of the operatives   
from here to help."  
Both agreed they would have to go to dinner and get Stedman to understand.  
  
************************  
  
Jarod and Parker entered the Dining Hall to see that Becky was already seated   
with her new shadow.   
"Good evening Becky and was it Frank. Where is Dr. Stedman?"  
"Good evening Jarod. We were the first to arrive. From what I hear, Lily was   
giving them a run for their money." Becky laughed. "She can be obstinate when   
she wants to be."   
"I was there for part of it. Did more happen after I was escorted out of her   
room?" Jarod was concerned for Lily.  
"Well from what Frank heard, Lily called her team together and ordered Joan and   
Mark out of her room."  
"Her team?" Parker asked now intrigued.  
"Lily has had a group of trained staff that she has supervised for years. But   
never before has she ordered Joan out of anything. Let alone Mark. Mark has   
always been by her side."  
The group talked for about an hour and a half when they heard movement at the   
entrance of the room. The door opened and in walked Joan Stedman who looked   
obviously upset. "Hello everyone. You shouldn't have held dinner for us." Joan   
sat in her customary place.  
"How is Lily?" Jarod asked trying to read the woman's face.  
"We are trying to keep her under control, but she has decided to keep us out of   
the loop." Joan showed definite anger in her eyes. "She assembled her group and   
proceeded into the media center. Locked Mark and I out. And disabled the cameras   
in the room."  
"In the media center? Why would she want to be in the media center? That just   
has filming equipment and instruments." Becky said confused by her sister's   
actions.  
"I don't know, but her actions are starting to trouble me. She is not acting   
reasonably." Joan started to say as Jarod interjected.  
"What is reasonable Dr. Stedman? If you mean she is not acting like she did   
before her memories started coming back – you're right. She now has to integrate   
her memories into who she is."  
"She will become stronger, better, faster." Parker said as everyone in the room   
looked at her. "Didn't anyone watch The Bionic Woman?"  
Parker was let off the hook by a loud alarm bell sounding. "What now?" Joan   
Stedman moaned as she dropped her head into her folded hands.  
One of the men Jarod recognized from the Retrieval Team came running into the   
room. He spit out in between breaths. "Dr. Stedman. You've got….to come quick.   
Lily…..she's broadcasting……to the Centre."   
The group ran out of the room to the nearest monitor room.  
************************  
Lily sat at the control center after having hacked into the main computer to   
give herself access to an outside fiber optic line. She sat with Veronica at her   
side.   
"You know that this Raines fellow you were telling us about is going to have a   
fit." Veronica said as they watched the beginning of Lily's broadcast.  
"I'm counting on it." Lily said as she watched the video monitor.  
************************  
At the Centre, all the security monitor equipment and PC monitors went blank.   
The night shift staff of the computer department was in a frenzy. One technician   
got on the phone. "Mr. Broots, you have got to turn on your Centre linked   
computer. We're being accessed from an outside source. We have breeches in all   
our systems." Broots went running from the dinner table to his computer.  
Raines was screaming orders from his office. Lyle was going from computer to   
computer trying to access the main frame. Sweepers were running in every   
different direction. Suddenly something came onto the screens and the personnel   
at the Centre stopped and watched.  
On the screen, Lily appeared with what looked like musicians (in reality it was   
her team) with dark glasses behind her. She was dressed in a long black leather   
coat, black leather pants, a tight black heart shaped shirt, black sunglasses,   
and had a longhaired black wig. Loud music began to play. The instrumental was   
from Alanis Morisette's Hands Clean, but Lily had changed the words.   
If it weren't for my maturity none of this would be happening.  
If I wasn't so wise beyond my years I would have been able to control myself.  
If it wasn't for our birth (Pictures that Lily had pulled from the computer of   
the Centre children started to appear in small boxes and went to the rim of the   
screen.) you wouldn't have been successful.  
And if it weren't for us you would never have amounted to very much.  
Ooh. This could get messy (Lily coyly faced the camera looking over her   
shoulder, then turned to face it)  
But you don't seem to mind.   
Ooh don't go telling everybody (She puts her finger in front of her lips and   
smiles)  
And overlook this supposed crime.   
Well fast-forward to a few years later   
And no one knows except the group of us. (Lily started to move in and out of the   
group and then opens her arms indicating the group standing around her)  
I have honored your request for silence (She moves back to the front of the   
screen)  
And you've washed your hands clean of us. (The pictures that were on the rim   
start to disappear one by one.)  
We were essentially employees and you liked us to depend on thee. (Lily was   
again looking straight into the camera)  
We're all your "Prodigy's" and one day you'd say that we learned all we know   
from thee.  
I know you wanted me to depend on you like a young thing would to a guardian.  
I know you abused authority for years and I think you liked it.  
Ooh this could get messy   
But you don't seem to mind  
Ooh don't go telling everybody  
You'd rather overlook this supposed crime. (A picture of Kyle came up on the   
screen in a small box)  
Well fast-forward to a few years later  
No one knows except the both of us  
And I have honored your request for silence  
And you've washed your hands clean of us.  
What part of our history is reinvented and under rug swept? (Lily faces the   
camera with anger in her eyes)  
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?   
What with my observance it seems so obvious.  
You made sure you didn't tell on me especially to members of my family.  
You felt it best to keep to yourself and not tell anyone of the inner posse.   
(A picture of Lyle came onto the screen) I wish I could tell the world cuz   
you're such a fine thing when you're done up properly. (Lily made a cat growl   
face into the camera)  
I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm   
body.   
Ooh this could get messy (A picture of Raines came back on the screen)  
But you don't seem to mind  
Ooh don't go telling everybody  
You'd rather overlook this supposed crime. (A picture of Catherine Parker came   
onto the screen in a small box next to Raines)  
Well fast-forward to a few years later  
No one knows except the both of us  
And I have honored your request for silence  
And you've washed your hands clean of this. (The music starts to fade)  
"Or so you think." The music faded off. "Now that I have your attention Mr.   
Raines and Mr. Lyle, let me tell you a story about a small boy named Jarod. I   
have become very fond of your grown up Pretender. And I also think that I have   
another person who may be 'Centre' property – Miss Parker." Lily pulled up a   
stool and faced the camera.  
"So let's play a game of seek and find. Shall we? If you can catch me, then the   
prize will be yours. If you don't, the spoils go to me. So if you're up for the   
challenge, I'll be partying down with my friends here at Lairs." Lily held up a   
Mardi Gras mask to her face. "I'm dying to meet you Mr. Raines. Don't forget to   
try the gumbo, I hear it is delicious. Hope to see you soon." And the broadcast   
ended.   
************************  
"Well I think that went well." Lily was saying to Veronica as they sat in the   
control booth. Lily heard a commotion outside in the main gallery of the media   
center. "I think company is coming."  
The door to the common room was literally being pulled from the doorframe. Joan   
stood there, as the maintenance team pulled the door away, a scowl on her face.   
"I don't think she is happy." Veronica replied. "Think she didn't like our taste   
in music?"  
"No. I think that she has death on her mind." Lily just kept her straight face.   
"Bring it on."   
************************  
Broots sat at his computer at home in astonishment. He couldn't believe what he   
had seen. No one had broken into the Centre's mainframe like that except   
for……..Jarod. Was Jarod helping this woman, this very good-looking woman?   
Reminded him of Parker.   
"Keep your mind on work idiot." Broots said to himself. He tried to trace the   
transmission, but it had been back fed through signals throughout the world. A   
variation of a trick Jarod had pulled. "Oh no. Mr. Raines won't like this." The   
charge for the transmission was billed to the Centre.  
Broots phone rang. He picked it up. "So, did you get a trace?" Broots cringed as   
he heard Mr. Lyle's voice on the other end.  
***********************  
The Centre was in chaos. People were running in every direction and none wanted   
to be anywhere near Raines who was having a conniption. "I want to know who that   
woman is. You run her picture through every database in the world. No one plays   
with me!"  
The technicians in the workroom snickered as Raines made his remark.  
"Is there a problem here people?" The group shook their heads and started their   
search. "Lyle, where is Broots? I want action here!"  
Lyle, who had found the whole broadcast quite amusing, was sitting in a chair   
thinking about the mysterious woman who had his sister and what should be his   
prize possession. "He's at home. He had to pick up his child. Mr. Broots said   
the transmission was untraceable. Some kind of feedback of signal through other   
signals."  
"Jarod did that years ago with the phone lines. He must be working with her."   
Raines sneered.  
"OR." Lyle started. "This woman has studied our Pretender, studied the Centre.   
She doesn't seem to have a thing for either of her captives, she seems to have a   
bone with – YOU." Lyle got up from his chair. "Do we have another Alex on our   
hands – DAD?" Lyle grabbed a piece of paper that was being handed to him from   
one of the techs.  
"You best keep your place BOY. I'm still in charge here."  
"Then I suggest you get the jet ready. We're going to New Orleans."  
"New Orleans?" Raines wheezed.  
"Lairs is a warehouse in New Orleans. Or so Mr. Broots sent over to the team."   
Lyle smiled as he started for the door. "Let me get my things and we'll be off."   
A technician came up to Mr. Lyle and whispered something before retreating back   
to his chair.  
Raines screamed. "Get the jet ready!"  
"One problem." Lyle started.  
"What problem Lyle?" Raines wheezed.  
"It seems an electronic message went through to the hanger an hour ago   
requesting all Centre jets to head for California. There are no more here to   
transport us. We'll have to wait for them to turn around and refuel." Lyle   
smiled at the thought of Raines being outsmarted. He wanted to confront this   
vixen himself.  
Raines turned away from the group and opened his cell phone. He spoke a few   
short words and hung up. "Notify me when we are able to leave, I'll be in my   
office."  
The man outside the Broots house opened his cell phone, listened to the   
instructions, and hung up. He backed away from the house, got into his car, and   
left.  
************************  
Lily went and opened the door to the monitor room to confront Joan.  
"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Joan screamed. "Broadcasting to the   
Centre! Practically giving them the address of a property owned by Angel's   
Hope."  
"I'm doing what I had to do!" Lily screamed back, the long black hair of the wig   
flying around her face.  
Jarod, Parker, Becky, Mark, and the assorted entourage filed in after Joan.  
"What you made me do!" Lily still screamed pointing at Joan's chest. "You gave   
me no choice." Jarod moved and put his arm around his sister trying to calm her   
down.  
"What are you talking about? No choice." Joan's fury matched that of Lily's as   
she faced her prodigy face to face.  
Jarod had started to analyze the broadcast from the minute it started and had   
been playing the scenarios in his head. "To help Debbie."  
The group looked at Jarod. "What do you mean help the Broots' girl? How does   
exposing our operation help your Debbie Broots?" Joan fumed.  
Parker picked up on where Jarod was going. "Because if Raines has his attention   
distracted, then he wouldn't be going after Debbie anymore."  
"He'd be going after…"Jarod started.  
"Me." Lily finished.  
"Do you realize what you have done?" Jarod asked with fear in his eyes. "Raines   
will do everything in his power to catch you."  
Lily moved away from Jarod and looked at the group. "Let the Game begin."   
************************  
Strategy  
A complicated game to predict, even more complicated to live.  
Life   
Has actions and consequences  
Both are equal in the universal games that our players are about to play.  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The   
Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters   
are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or   
deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to   
honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. The song Hands Clean by   
Alanis Morisette is also not my property. I just borrowed it, tweeked it, and am   
now putting it back in it's place. 


	21. Act 1 Scene 2

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this   
work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans.  
  
Strategy  
A complicated game to predict, even more complicated to live.  
Life   
Has actions and consequences  
Both must be balanced in the universal games that our players are about to play.  
*************************  
Parker picked up on where Jarod was going. "Because if Raines has his attention distracted, then he wouldn't be going after Debbie anymore."  
"He'd be going after…"Jarod started.  
"Me." Lily finished.  
"Do you realize what you have done?" Jarod asked with fear in his eyes. "Raines will do everything in his power to catch you."  
Lily moved away from Jarod and looked at the group. "Let the Game begin."  
"This isn't a game!" Jarod said as he came back in front of Lily. "I have been running from this man for six years."  
"And you have always kept one step in front of him." Lily vollied back.  
"Not always if you remember. I've spent time with Mr. Lyle' s jumper cables. These people aren't going to play fair."   
"Neither am I. I'm going to give them a taste of their own medicine." Lily walked to a projector and turned it on. "I have a plan. So you can either help me or get out of my way." Lily looked into   
Jarod's eyes giving the ultimatum, but hoping she would have an ally.   
"No one is doing anything unless I approve it." Joan stated as she came between the two siblings.   
"I should keep you all locked away until you come to your senses."  
"If you do that, then you might as well walk up and hand Debbie and Angel's Hope to Raines."   
Parker chimed in. "He knows that Lily exists and is a threat. And that she has Jarod. He will stop at nothing to track her down."  
Joan looked at the group. The looks on their faces said it all. Jarod – determined, concerned.   
Parker – she had her sparkle again. The one she got when she was on a mission. And Lily – filled   
with a rage that could either consume her or bring her victory.   
It was the time in her life that she knew was eventually coming. One she had dreaded. Life at Angel's Hope had become surreal. They had performed their tasks in obscurity, helping but   
risking little. Now it was time to confront the evil that had been a part of her life since she was a young woman. "If I allow you to proceed Lily, it's under strict direction of Mark."  
Lily looked at Mark. "I don't need a babysitter." Mark turned his head so that she would not see the hurt on his face.  
"He's there to handle the overall. You will be in charge of the mission. So show me what you have planned."  
Lily hit the laptop computer button and the first screen appeared. "First. Jarod we have to get you established into the FBI." Jarod got that devilish smile on his face. "No problem. "Lily saw the smile and knew that everything would go as planned. "OK. We have to attack them from different positions………."  
*************************  
Lyle was sitting at his desk, pushing the papers around. He had been playing the video of the transmission that had come in. He had watched intently for any clue as to who this woman might be. She moved as if agile and well trained, not in music or dance necessarily, but in body mechanics. Raines might be brushing her off, but Lyle knew better.  
They had not been able to brush off Alex. They had created a time bomb that exploded at every chance it had gotten. But the bottom line was down to one thing. Alex had no soul. The Centre and the Triumvirate had burned it out of him. A killer without a conscious – the perfect sociopath. Lyle looked at the frozen frame on his monitor. That point when she had looked into the camera   
and it was as if she was burrowing her eyes into Raines. He knew that look. He had seen it before. This alone might have convinced him that they were in trouble. That they had another Alex on their hands. But there was something else he saw. He had played the message at least twenty times. She not only had the coldness, but she had the soul. There was a look in her eyes   
as if this was personal. And she wasn't going to stop until she succeeded in whatever she was trying to accomplish.  
Lyle traced her face on the screen with his finger tip. There was something about her that intrigue him and something that was familiar. She was unlike the other woman he had tried to possess.   
Since being sent to Asia by the Triumvirate years ago, he had always fancied Asian women. He had embraced their sociological views of the roles of men and women.   
Something about this woman touched him, but he didn't know why. She was strong, forceful, and he assumed strong willed. Not his type at all. It was her eyes. The eyes were the windows to the soul and he saw ……pain, misery, anger. He could relate to that. When they caught her, she would be his personal project.  
*************************  
Joan paced in the office hallway as she waited to escort Lily and Jarod to the landing strip. She was taking a big chance in letting Jarod go. But hoped that having his sister and Miss Parker here would be enough security to warrant his return. She looked up in time to see them and she smiled.  
In a line they approached her. Leading in the middle were Lily and Jarod. Lily, wearing the same outfit she had donned for her little musical and had proclaimed was her new look. Jarod, all in black leather and carrying his bag which had his suit and identification to give him access into the   
FBI. Parker walked next to Jarod. She had changed back into the clothes that she had been brought in with, black mini skirt and white blouse. She had said that it made her feel more comfortable that way. Veronica, who Joan had found out was Lily's second in charge for this phase, was next to Lily. Mark was next to Parker and Becky next to Veronica. They stopped in front of Joan.  
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Joan asked Lily knowing that there was no way of changing what fate had started.  
"I'm sure. Raines has got to be made to pay. Stop playing mother, we'll be fine." Lily rolled her eyes.  
"Don't give me that cocky attitude young lady! You keep sharp and on your toes. Get cocky and you'll be taking up space in the Centre's Renewal Wing." Joan retorted back.  
"Noted and accepted. I'll keep sharp. Has the rest of the team assembled?" Lily asked checking her weapon.  
"Team A is already in place at Lairs, preparing it to your specifications. Your team is waiting for you at the landing strip." Joan responded.  
Jarod saw the gun in his sister's hand and for a moment wished he wasn't letting her go alone.   
That he would be there to help in case Raines pulled anything.   
Lily, seeing Jarod's look. "I can take care of myself. You don't have to be there to hold my hand."   
"I can still worry. This is very dangerous playing games with Raines and Lyle."  
"I'm doing it to save Debbie and all the other children they want to hurt or corrupt. I'm doing this to repay them for what they did to you, Kyle, our family, and me. And I'm doing it for Bobby. Who let me escape and probably ended up like Angelo." Lily holstered her gun under her jacket.  
Parker looked at Jarod. "I've got to tell her."  
Jarod looked at Parker and shook his head no. "Don't Parker."  
"She has the right to know Jarod." Parker said as she looked into Jarod's sweet brown eyes. "She has a right to know who she is up against."  
"What don't you want me to know?" Lily asked perplexed that Jarod would want something kept from her. "And don't lie to me, I'll know."  
Parker saw the anger in Jarod's face. "She has the right to know who she is fighting for." She turned back to Lily. "You already know that Lyle is my brother."  
"If you want me to leave him out of this because he is your brother, then I can't promise that. If he gets in my way, then…"  
"Lily. Stop. I don't want you to take it easy on him because he is my brother. If anything, he needs a swift kick in the ass."  
"Then what's the problem?" Lily looked between Jarod and Parker. "Well? I don't have time for this."  
"Lyle is Bobby Bowman." Parker handed her a folder that she had quickly put together of everything she knew on Lyle.  
Lily took the folder and opened it. "No. Bobby could never be Lyle." She quickly closed it and was shaking her head as she started heading down the hallway to leave for the airstrip.  
Parker ran after her and grabbed her by the arm to spin her around. "Listen to me." Lily's eyes were full of pain, but also with understanding. She knew that Parker wasn't lying. She pulled her arm away from Parker. "Parker." Jarod yelled catching up to them. "Enough."  
"She's got to know the truth if she's going to face him. He's not Bobby Bowman any more.   
Between his tortuous adoptive parents and the Triumvirate getting a hold of him, that person is gone. They sent him to Asia and taught him all kinds of ....things. How to torture people, how to work them into submission, and how not to care that you're doing it. He's a monster." Parker concluded.   
"I remember what he told me about his parents. They were the monsters, not Bobby. I have a plane to get on. Good luck Jarod." Lily turned and proceeded down the hall.  
"Watch your ass. Lyle would as soon burn it as help it. He framed his father for his own death.   
Don't think you can trust the old Bobby Bowman. That person doesn't exist - only Lyle."  
Lily just kept walking down the hallway and disappeared out the door.  
"Why the hell do I even try? Like she is ever going to listen to me." Parker threw her hands up in the air and started walking in the other direction.  
Jarod caught up with her and stood in front blocking her way. "Trust her Parker. She just has to digest what you've told her and what she is remembering. She's got a lot to process and conflicting information."  
Parker was standing next to Jarod face to face. "Well she better process pretty damn quick or Lyle will eat her for dinner."  
"She'll do what she has to do. Lyle better be the one who's careful. Lily may chew him up and spit him out." Parker was looking up at him and Jarod down at her. Their faces in a position that if they were a little closer, they could kiss.  
"Ahem." Came from behind them. The two parted from each other. "I believe you have a plane to catch Jarod." Joan was standing behind the couple smiling.  
"Ah. Yes. Dr. Stedman. I better get going." He looked into Parker's eyes. "I'll see you when I get back."  
"I'll be counting the Pez till then." Parker quipped back.   
Jarod smiled, turned to walk down the hall, and went through the same door Lily had. He boarded the Angel's Hope private jet and buckled in. He was sitting and thinking about Parker as they took off heading for Washington, DC.  
*************************  
Lily sat on the plane looking out the window. Her team was sitting around a table getting the final plans solidified. The plane had taken off and they were on their way to Louisiana.  
She had reviewed what Parker had put in the folder. Her soul troubled by the thought that because she had left him behind, Bobby had been made into Lyle.  
"Lily. Earth to Lily." Veronica called from the table. "Are you going to come over or do we pull this mission off ourselves?" She waited a few moments. "Lily!"  
Lily, hearing her name finally, looked in Veronica's direction. "What? I'm sorry. My mind was somewhere else." "Or with someone else. Honey. We really need you focused here right now." Mark looked at her with love in his eyes.  
But Lily returned the look with coldness. "I am focused. Now let's get this mission set. I have one change in mind from the previous layout….." Lily walked over to the table and finalized the groups' plans.  
************************  
An old song once said…..  
The games people play. You take it or you leave it.  
Will the strategies of the players be - to take what they're given and use it?  
Or leave it in the middle of the night. 


	22. Act 1 Scene 3

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. I also have no claim to Pink Floyd and the album "The Wall". I just like to play with the music and put it back.  
An old song once said…..  
The games people play. You take it or you leave it.  
Will the strategies of the players be - to take what they're given and use it?  
Or leave it in the middle of the night.  
  
*************************  
Lily sat on the plane looking out the window. Her team was sitting around a table getting the final plans solidified. The plane had taken off and they were on their way to Louisiana.  
She had reviewed what Parker had put in the folder. Her soul troubled by the thought that because she had left him behind, Bobby had been made into Lyle.  
"Lily. Earth to Lily." Veronica called from the table. "Are you going to come over or do we pull this mission off ourselves?" She waited a few moments. "Lily!"  
Lily, hearing her name finally, looked in Veronica's direction. "What? I'm sorry. My mind was somewhere else." "Or with someone else. Honey. We really need you focused here right now." Mark looked at her with love in his eyes.  
But Lily returned the look with coldness. "I am focused. Now let's get this mission set. I have one change in mind from the previous layout….." Lily walked over to the table and finalized the groups' plans.  
They landed in a private airstrip just outside of New Orleans. They had gotten a report that Raines and Lyle weren't that much farther behind them in arriving. Lily's re-routing of the Centre's planes had saved them some valuable time.  
They arrived at the warehouse and got out of the black sedans.  
"Miss Lily. The room has been updated to your specifications." One of the members from Team A reported.  
"Good. The door has been booby trapped to what I requested?" Lily said as she headed for the warehouse door.  
"Yes and the sound system has just been completed. It is being tested as we speak."  
"Good. I want Mr. Raines to have a taste of what it's like to be locked up and have music blaring for hours."  
"It's a good thing this warehouse was already set up for the Marsh sting." Becky said as she followed Lily into the Warehouse.  
Mark went to Reynold, head of Team A, to review that all safety features had been taken care of including alternate escape routes. "Make sure that the guards are positioned on the outer flanks.   
I'm sure the Sweepers will try to find the alternate access points of the building the minute they get here."  
"We have three undisclosed outer exits." Reynold pointed to the building layout. "There are secret passages here, here, and here. They have exits/entrances into the various rooms and the main exits that can only be accessed from inside."  
Lily looked past Mark's shoulder to see the plans. "Layout the same as the last time Reynold?"  
"Yes Ma'am. We just took all the windows and doors in this area and bricked them up like you requested. No one will be getting out of there unless they trip the secret exit button."  
"Good. Everyone. Let's get ready. I believe we'll be having company soon."  
*************************  
Jarod had arrived in Baltimore and rented a motel room just outside Washington DC. He would have to stay the night and head into the FBI headquarters in the morning. His guard, Fred, had accompanied him on the plane and had set up his equipment next to the second bed. He was researching the morning hours for agents at the bureau. It seemed that Angel's Hope had some connections with the FBI, but Joan did not want them involved at this point of the operation.   
Jarod and Fred worked on inputting the information he would need to be able to get access into the site the next day. Jarod created a new name badge and Fred inputted the data into their personnel database. Jarod had felt funny breaking into the database with someone he hardly knew. But Fred seemed to know his way around the systems as well as Jarod did. He was sure that he had done it before. One day after all this was over, he would have to sit down with Lily and find out exactly what Angel's Hope had themselves involved in.   
After they had established Jarod's identity, Jarod fluffed up the pillows and laid down on the bed opposite the television. Joan had not allowed him to bring his own computer, so he had decided to look at the local news.   
Two other agents from Angel's Hope had taken up residence in the adjoining room. They had ordered a late night snack of pizza and curly fries. Jarod had been chewing on a piece of pizza, but his mind was a million miles away. Parker was on his mind. What was she doing right now?   
He could still smell the fragrance of her cologne from this afternoon.   
The men had gone to bed and Jarod just laid in the dark silence. There had been many nights when he either couldn't sleep or had his sleep interrupted by the never-ending nightmares. And then it struck him. For the first time in six years, there was no one chasing him. Raines, Lyle, probably Cox and company were chasing Lily and Parker was back at Angel's Hope. For at least one night he could sleep knowing that no one was going to come busting through the door. Yet with this newfound breath of freedom, all he wanted was to have Parker there.   
************************  
It was almost twelve midnight when Raines and Lyle pulled up to the warehouse. Lily's outside motion detectors had signaled that the prey had arrived. Her team was notified and was on ready status. Lyle got out of the car first, followed by the man named Cox, and then Raines who had positioned his air tank out side the car door before getting out.  
Lily positioned herself just inside the front door. There was minimal lighting. When she knew that they were close enough to see her at the door, she stepped into the light. The Sweepers were the first to approach the door. Lily had slipped into the secret passage that was located just behind the front door. Once the Sweepers were inside, she operated the computer controls to block them off and create a separate path for the rest of their company. Raines approached the door and Lyle followed, pulling his weapon. Cox already had his weapon drawn and was ready to shoot anything that moved. As they entered the doorway, they could hear what they thought were the Sweepers in the room up ahead. They were being given the all clear.   
The room was sparsely decorated. A table with chairs sat in the middle of the room, a couch, and a small table in front of the couch. On the table was a plate of what looked like meatloaf and another bowl covered with some sort of sealed lid. The lid had been mechanically sealed down.   
Through the cover it looked like chocolate pudding. There were two curtains hanging on either side of the door.  
"Where did she go?" Raines wheezed.  
"This place is huge, she could be hiding anywhere. I don't like this, something isn't right." Lyle was surveying the room around them. "Sam. Where are you? Report." Lyle called out into the darkness.  
Cox was checking the room with his gun drawn. "I'd say we're being set up. Let's get out of here."  
The group went to turn to leave, when the door they came in closed and locked shut. Cox and Lyle ran to the door and tried to open it. "Damn." Yelled Lyle as he punched the door. "I knew something wasn't right."  
A full-length mirror in the room lit up and Lily's image appeared within the frame. "Welcome gentleman. I'm so glad that you accepted my invitation. I'm sure that you are wondering where your Pretender is. Well I have to say that I don't want to give him up. He has been telling me some extraordinary stories about the Centre and especially you Dr. Raines."  
Raines, Cox and Lyle went over to the mirror and looked for a way to open it.  
"It is pointless to try and get to me through the mirror. Consider me Alice having gone through the looking glass. You won't be leaving my tea party until you solve my riddle. And while you are solving the riddle, you'll be getting a dose of your own medicine.  
Suddenly the room was blasted with loud music. We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teacher, leave those kids alone……….. The music was set at a deafening tone. Raines, Cox, and Lyle grabbed their ears. Lyle went to the curtains that hung in the room and pulled them open. The window had been bricked up. Cox had gone to the other window. Also bricked up.  
"We're trapped." Screamed Lyle over All in all you're just another brick in the wall. "How stupid could I have been to follow you?" He leered at Raines as the music continued. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat.  
"What riddle is she talking about? Do you see any paper or anything that would represent a puzzle?" Cox asked trying to get a handle on the situation.  
Lyle took his weapon and fired at the mirror. The glass shattered and went everywhere. Behind it was nothing but brick. "Damn." The men started checking the rest of the room and the adjoining room. It was the same in both rooms – windows bricked and the door at the end of the last room was bricked closed.  
Hours passed as the men were trapped with the loud music. The three men had stayed in the front room and the music was wearing their nerves down. They had looked for the source of the music or the speakers, but could find neither. Cox was lying on the couch, trying to cover his ears. Lyle had randomly fired his weapon around the room, but couldn't find any escape routes.   
Raines was at the table, covering his ears with his jacket.   
Lyle was pacing the front room where the three men were, when he spotted Lily standing in the middle of the second room. He ran into the room and before the other men could join him, the door slammed shut. He tried the door to find it locked. Lyle turned around and Lily was gone.  
"Who the hell are you?" Lyle screamed over the music. Suddenly the music changed. Lyle recognized that it was still Pink Floyd. He looked around the room and a mirror behind the desk glowed with Lily's image. She was singing to him. He walked over so that he was face to face with her.  
Hey you. Out there in the cold, getting lonely, getting old, Can you feel me?  
Hey you. Standing there alone, with allies unknown, Can you feel me?  
Hey you. Don't help them to bury the light. Don't give in without a fight.  
Open your heart, I'm coming home.  
But it was only fantasy.  
The wall was too high, as you could see.  
No matter how I tried, you could not break free.  
And the Boogeyman ate into your brain.  
Hey you, Out there on the road, always doing what you're told, Can you help me?  
Hey you, Out there beyond the wall, trying to catch me in the hall, Can you help me?  
Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all.  
Together we stand, divided we fall.  
Lily's image disappeared. Lyle reached for the mirror, as if he would be able to touch her. But only felt the coldness of the mirror.  
Lily stood on the opposite side of the mirror and put her hand on his. "I hope you figure it out."  
Mark came up behind her. "I think it is time to go. I think he will figure it out soon." Mark had been watching the monitor and knew that Lily had contacted him. Something that wasn't in their original plan. He also realized what she had tried to do. A hint of who she was. The question was whether   
Lyle would respond positively to that knowledge or use it against her. The two left with their team for the airport.  
Lyle thought for a moment. He hadn't heard the word Boogeyman in years. Not since, he tried to think, but the memories were so fuzzy. Then the puzzled clicked. The puzzle was the music. He went to the door and this time it opened.  
The original music was still playing in this room. Raines and Cox were fighting over whose fault it was that they were in this situation. "Will the two of you shut up!" Lyle screamed. He went over to the plate of meat. "If you want out of here, start eating." He shoved meat at both of them.   
"Has the music driven you insane Lyle." Raines questioned. "I'm not eating this."  
"Listen to the music you tank breathing fool. You can't have any pudding till you eat your meat."  
A light went on in Raines mind. "Cox. Eat you idiot." When everything had been consumed, a laser light shot toward the bowl. The lid opened and exposed the pudding.  
Lyle looked at Raines with a triumphant look. He started scooping out the pudding with the meat plate and at the bottom of the bowl was a button. Lyle pushed it and the music stopped. The men then heard a click of a lock.   
Cox went to the door and opened it. When he went back into the original hallway they had entered in, he could see where another door had been concealed. Raines and Lyle followed him.   
He opened that door to find Sam and the other Sweepers sitting in reclining chairs, eating munchies, and watching sports on a wide screen TV.   
"Get up and get us out of here!" Screamed Raines, who could barely hear himself since having to listen to the deafening music. The Sweepers got up clumsily, embarrassed to have been caught in the situation. Raines and Cox followed the Sweepers through the door.  
Lyle looked back into the warehouse, sure that after the mirrored encounter the woman had fled.   
She was smart enough to know that once she gave Lyle the hint and that he would figure out the exit. He would have a team come through the place with a fine toothcomb. He had to have this woman.  
************************  
The sunrise had not yet broken, but Jarod was already awake. Fred had heard him stir and asked if he would like to go to breakfast. The two men went to the little diner that was attached to the motel. The woman had asked Jarod if he wanted his eggs over easy or poached. Jarod had replied that he did not care how the eggs were handled as long as they were scrambled dry. Fred had looked at him as if he had three heads. The two men were joined by the other Retrievers, which is what Dr. Stedman had called them. The Centre's equivalent to a Sweeper.   
After breakfast, the group left for the FBI office. Jarod needed to access their database and create an investigation file. He walked through the security clearance area and proceeded to the   
Information Technology department. Fred was explaining to the area supervisor that he and Jarod were there to do a maintenance upgrade. Jarod found an office, with the help of an area secretary, and started working on inputting his data. He assigned the agent's name that Lily had given him. When he had completed his download, he found Fred and the two men headed for the Baltimore airport.   
Jarod waited anxiously as Fred spoke to the plane in route from Louisiana. "Yes. We will be landing in approximately an hour. Yes. I'll tell him. Out." Fred turned to Jarod. "Miss Lily says to tell you – I told you so."  
"I told you so?" Jarod asked.  
"Yes. That she could handle things herself. Their mission was a success."  
"That's great. Then phase two can happen." Jarod sat back in his seat. He found that his heart rate was increasing. Soon he would see Parker again.  
************************  
Lily sat in the seat looking out the window. She knew that she should be rejoicing in her victory.   
She had officially spoon fed Raines his own medicine. But she had also seen Bobby on the monitor. His gun drawn, shooting around the room, and the way he had shot at her image in the mirror. Maybe Mark was right. Maybe Bobby was gone and the only thing left was Lyle. But there was something different when she had gotten him alone. When he touched the second mirror, for   
a moment she thought she could see Bobby.  
Mark sat in his seat across from Lily. He watched her looking out the window. She was thinking about him again and a pang of jealousy hit. She cared more about a boy she hadn't seen in 30 years, than him. Lily may not see it, but he did. Lyle was as bad, if not worse, than Raines. In the end he would have to take care of Lyle, because Lily would never be able to.  
************************   
Lyle sat looking out the window of the Centre jet. That woman's image was in his mind. He was analyzing what the whole situation meant. The music had to mean something. It had to do with control or possibly her control. At one time maybe she had been associated with the Centre or somewhere else that had confined her. She was retaliating to a situation she had been placed in. And the second song. It had been meant for him. Just him. He was remembering the lines he had heard.  
Hey you. Standing there alone, with allies unknown, Can you feel me? Had it been a line of acknowledgement? Was she telling him that she could be an ally? Impossible. She had the one thing he needed to take charge of the Centre. To get rid of Raines.   
But she had said if he could feel her. Like there should be a connection. Like he felt there was a connection. Something from his past? He thought about the next part.  
Don't help them to bury the light. Don't give in without a fight.  
Lyle suddenly had a flash from his childhood.   
A young girl running down the hall, frantically looking for an escape route. He was coming up the hall, and he recognizes her. Lyle could hear a man issuing orders and men quickly descending on the girl. He had tried to struggle to get free. To help the girl. He knows that she is his friend. Lyle stomps on the foot of the guard and runs to her. He puts her behind him, protecting her. The guards huddle around them trying to get them apart, the whole time the two children fighting their way to stay free.   
She says to him, "Don't give in without a fight."  
Amongst the screams and tears, a man was screaming more orders. The guards finally separated the two as they are screaming for each other. In the end he had sacrificed himself to protect her. He remembered having an injection shot into him and seeing her face as he dropped into unconsciousness.  
Open your heart, I'm coming home.  
Lyle bolted straight up in his chair. The memory had been so vivid. He recognized the place where he had been. In SL27. He had been there as a boy. And she had said she was coming home. The Centre at some point had been her home.  
"Something wrong Lyle?" Raines wheezed from his seat.  
Lyle turned and looked at Raines. And in his mind he heard part of the music, the lyrics dancing in his mind.  
And the Boogeyman ate into your brain.  
The girl. She had referred to the man that was hurting them as the Boogeyman. Lyle flashed to that encounter again. Mentally he looked at the man giving him the injection and he saw the man's face. In that moment Lyle realized who the Boogeyman was and the man's name was Dr. Raines.   
************************  
Strategy  
Thesis #1 - Things that don't kill you, make you stronger.  
Thesis #2 – That which made you stronger, usually has pissed you off enough to seek revenge.  
The new player in the game - Revenge. 


	23. Act 2 Scene 1

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans.   
  
Strategy  
Thesis #1 - Things that don't kill you, make you stronger.  
Thesis #2 – That which made you stronger, usually has pissed you off enough to seek revenge.  
The new player in the game - Revenge.  
*************************  
Lyle bolted straight up in his chair. The memory had been so vivid. He recognized the place where he had been. In SL27. He had been there as a boy. And she had said she was coming home. The Centre at some point had been her home.  
"Something wrong Lyle?" Raines wheezed from his seat.  
Lyle turned and looked at Raines. And in his mind he heard part of the music, the lyrics dancing in his mind.  
And the Boogeyman ate into your brain.  
The girl. She had referred to the man that was hurting them as the Boogeyman. Lyle flashed to that encounter again. Mentally he looked at the man giving him the injection and he saw the man's face. In that moment Lyle realized who the Boogeyman was and the man's name was Dr. Raines.   
"Lyle. You look as if you've seen a ghost." Raines shifted in his seat, his air tank rattling as he re-adjusted. "Did you think of something that can help us catch that woman?"  
Lyle debated with himself. Should he tell Raines what he had remembered? It was his job to tell Raines about the memory. "No. I just had a muscle spasm."   
"You should have one of those oriental girls give you a back massage when you get back to the Centre. Have we received any information from the Sweeper teams yet?" Raines asked, but Lyle was looking out the window again. Raines made a mental note of this and went back to writing the notes of the day on his laptop.   
Why had he lied to Raines? Something gnawed at him from the back of his mind. The girl………she was a friend. But he didn't have any friends. Friends were a liability. Why couldn't he remember her name? But one thing was for sure – his lack of memory. When he got back to the Centre, there would be answers to find.  
************************  
Lily and her team had arrived in Colorado in the wee hours of the morning. She looked at her watch and knew that Jarod would probably be up in a while. He would then start his mission in Washington. She knew that he did this "Pretending" thing all the time, but she was still nervous.   
Joan met them at the Angel's Hope terminal exit. "How did everything go?"  
"Fine. He was successfully irritated and I believe thoroughly pissed off. Mission accomplished." Lily had replied flippantly as she kept heading towards the main corridors of the facility.  
"The idea was to keep him occupied, not get him angrier." Joan said as she tried to keep up with Lily.  
Lily stopped and looked at Joan. "Maybe that was your agenda, it wasn't mine. Now, if you don't mind I'm tired and am going to go get some sleep. I want to be awake when Jarod gets back." Lily turned and stomped off down the hallway.  
The remainder of the team acknowledged greetings to Joan and departed into Angel's Hope. Mark was the last person to reach Joan. "She made contact with him. She disobeyed orders and indirectly contacted him."  
"Did you expect anything less?" Replied Joan as the two headed down the hallway.  
"She knows who he is. He's the person who killed her brother." Mark pleaded his case.  
"But he's also something even more powerful than that." Joan stopped and faced Mark. "He's her first love."  
************************  
Sydney walked into Broots' office. "How are things with Debbie? Have you seen anything suspicious?"  
"No. Maybe she was right and it was just her imagination. I watched again this morning to see if anyone was following us, but I didn't see anything. And Debbie says she didn't see the car she had seen before. Maybe I have officially lost it from all the years of working here. I'm beginning to see conspiracies where there aren't any." Broots shook his head at the thought that the Centre had finally driven him insane.  
"I wouldn't let down your guard so soon Broots. You know how things tend to come around here and I'd hate for them to get the better of you because you let your guard down. Something is going on here. I was trying to take a flight out to see that statue company and Lyle stopped me."  
Broots had a hurt look on his face. "You tried going without me? I thought that, well you know, that you trusted me."  
"I do trust you Broots. But with everything that was going on with Debbie, I didn't think you should be away from her."  
"Oh. Thank you for thinking about Debbie and I, but next time tell me Syd. I don't need another friend disappearing and me not knowing where they are."  
"Well we know that Miss Parker and Jarod are with Joan Stedman. Joan is a fine woman, they are in good hands. I just wish I knew where that was."  
"According to Bart at the plane hanger, Raines and Lyle took off last night after that woman on the video. But I saw Raines this morning and he didn't look all that great."   
"I reviewed the transmission and believe that whoever this woman is she has a personal vendetta against Raines. And I haven't seen Lyle here at all today. I just can't figure out what that woman's connection is to Joan." Sydney thought for a moment. "In either case, I think we better step up our search through Lyle's files. Maybe even Raines. There is something going on. I can feel it. Somehow all of this is connected. If you find anything, call me in my office."  
"Sure Sydney. I just wish it was as easy to do as to say." Broots buried his head into the computer and went back to trying to hack into Lyle's files.  
************************  
Lily fell into a restless sleep the minute she hit the pillow. There were so many things running through her mind. Visions of what had happened to her at the Centre. The room they had put her in to play the music that would have driven her crazy, except for that special place she would hide in her mind. Bobby had taught her how to do that. The room had an observation window in it. They had watched her during every experiment, every minute she had been there. Watching the torture they were inflicting and her reaction.  
Then she remembered standing in back of the mirror looking at Lyle. An observation window of her own. Now she had been the capturer, not the prisoner. And in her mind she saw standing next to him, who he had been. That little boy who she had befriended and who had technically given her her first kiss (even if it had been on her cheek). And then in the distance behind the two, a figure came into view. And as the figure came closer, she saw the face of the man. He looked just like the picture Jarod had shown her – it was Kyle.   
She took her fists and hit the mirror screaming. "How could you kill my brother? I never even got to know him."   
*************************  
Jarod had arrived back at Angel's Hope and was greeted by Mark. He had been told that Lily again was in a nightmare state. He was buzzed into Lily's room and heard her say that someone had killed her brother. He went to her side and shook her gently. "Lily. Wake up. It's Jarod. I'm OK. No one has killed me."   
Lily woke with a start and saw Jarod looking down at her. She sat up and hugged Jarod. At least she had her one brother left.  
"It's OK. It was only a nightmare." Jarod tried to console her.  
She let go of Jarod and tried to regain her composure. "I know."  
Jarod noticed the change in body mechanics. "You don't have to put up that defense with me." He lifted her chin. "You're my sister."  
"I'm not putting up any defenses. Fright is a sign of weakness." Jarod frowned. "What?" Lily now frowned as she questioned him.  
"You're spouting Raines again." He smiled trying to get her to smile.  
"Ugh. I can't help all this stuff that is stuck in my head."  
"I know. How did things go in New Orleans?" Jarod walked over to the dresser and got her a glass of water. "Mark asked me to give these to you. He noticed you were in pain in the plane." Jarod handed her a bottle of pills. "You over did it, didn't you? Can I check the stitches?"  
Lily handed the bottle back and got up off the bed. "If I wanted two mother's, I would go down to the nursery and get them. The two of you think I am a fragile china doll. I don't need to be babied. I know my own body."   
"I'm not saying that you are a baby. I'm saying that I am concerned that you are pushing yourself and that you haven't healed yet. And if you are in pain, no one here is going to think that you are weak. They are going to think that your body is sending your thick brain signals to slow down."  
Lily looked at him coyly and punched him in the arm. "If I have a thick brain, it's only because it genetically runs in the family." They both laughed. "Leave the pills on the night stand. If I need them, I'll take them."  
"OK. See it's all right to laugh. Seriously, how did New Orleans go?"  
"Functionally it went as planned. The Sweepers were detained and Raines went for the alternate path. I believe he was convinced of my resolve. Now for the next phase….."  
"The next phase? I thought you were going to keep him distracted while I planted the information in Washington. That was it. Lily, you can't keep doing this. You're going to get caught."  
"Jarod. One distraction is not going to be enough. Washington is going to take a little while to complete. He will be right after your Debbie Broots again. I plan to keep him away from Debbie and any other child he thinks he is going to destroy."  
Jarod pulled the chair close to the bed to sit down. "Sit down, rest, and tell me what you plan to do next?"  
Lily came and sat on the bed. She looked out into the room. "Mark. You can start recording now, if you haven't already started."  
Jarod gave her a stern look. "You should let up on him. He really cares for you. I can see it in his eyes."  
"Someone who cares for you doesn't betray you." Lily lowered her head and Jarod could see the hurt in her face.  
"Sometimes a person doesn't have a choice in what they have to do, but the outcomes of their actions hurt just the same." Now Jarod's face showed the hurt.  
"Seems we're in the same boat, you and I. Both loving someone who has done something to hurt us. Maybe it's our lot in life."  
"I'm not giving up." Jarod look soulfully into her eyes. "You shouldn't either."   
Lily flashed a mental picture of Bobby and then Mark. "I'm not. But I need to work some things out first. Like our next mission in Operation Drive Raines Crazy. So this is what I was thinking…….."  
************************  
Lyle was at his computer at home. He had been accessing the adoption records for Nebraska and Delaware, but couldn't find his name anywhere in their records. "Where was I adopted out of old man?" He knew that Parker would know, but he wouldn't find her till he found the mystery woman.  
His first clear memory was in Nebraska, but he was about ten years old then. Where were his memories before then? He had never questioned it before, which also disturbed him. He knew that these were the symptoms of someone who had gone through the Renewal Wing. There was a part of his past he didn't know and he was going to find out what it was.  
Lyle turned off his computer and grabbed his coat. He was going to get answers if he had to kill the wheezing sack of bones to do it. He laughed to himself – his sister did have a way of describing people. He wondered how she was. He shook his head as he locked the door. "Concern is a sign of weakness." He proceeded to his car.  
************************   
Parker sat at her mother's desk. When she had asked the guard if Jarod had returned, he had told her yes. But that he had gone to Lily's room straight from the plane. She had talked herself into thinking she didn't care if he came to see her first or not. That it didn't matter that there was no one else at Angel's Hope who they both knew. But Jarod had been embraced and had become one of the family. He had found another sister and Parker had been pushed to the side. She was not use to not being the one person he sought after. He had been leaving her presents, clues, and information for six years. She had found that she liked to hear his voice when she picked up her phone and responded with her usual "What".   
But she also knew that she had hurt him. She had chosen her father over him. She had let the Sweepers walk him away into the plane in Morocco. What was worse was she knew the truth. She had chosen the Centre over him. And not really chosen it, had been afraid to counter what her father and Raines were doing. She had given up his freedom for hers. But after her father had jumped with the scrolls she knew that she had made a mistake. That the only person who had cared for her, been with her through thick and thin had been Jarod.  
Parker got up from the desk and walked in front of her mother's picture. "Why am I doing this to myself mother? I am a strong woman and I don't need a man to complete me. Whether it is my father or Jarod." But in the back of her mind she could hear her mother weeping. Such sadness radiated through her. "Fine. If you don't want me to rely on myself, then how do I get to where I am suppose to be?"  
Suddenly there was a knock on the door.  
"Come in." Parker yelled as she headed back to the desk.  
The door opened and Jarod stuck his head in. "You busy?"  
Parker just sat at the desk and smiled.  
************************  
Joan was walking out of the elevator on one of the sublevels. She had been notified that two new arrivals had been brought in from Atlanta by one of the teams stationed there. The woman had been injured running from one of the Centre's Sweeper teams.   
"How is the woman doing?" Joan was reviewing the file that her assistant Sean had handed her.   
"She had a bullet wound in the left shoulder and facial lacerations that we treated in Atlanta before bringing her here. The man was unharmed, but refuses to leave her side." They were approaching the medical area where the woman was being moved from when the doors swung open. An unconscious woman with her face and shoulder bandaged laid on the gurney. The one thing Joan noticed was the long red hair coming out from under the bandages.  
Joan took the chart off the gurney and reviewed it. Joan looked up and addressed the young man that was at the woman's side. "Hello. My name is Dr. Stedman. I am the facilitator here at Angel's Hope." Joan looked down at the woman. "She's mighty lucky that the bullet hit her shoulder. With some therapy she should regain full use of her arm. Are you alright…Do you care to share your name?"  
The young man looked at Joan. "There are men looking for us. Dangerous men. My mother said that this would be a safe place to come. That we could trust you."  
Joan smiled. "And your mother was right. We can protect you from the Centre. If you feel uncomfortable giving us your names, we can create alias' for you till you trust us your with your real names. We'll refer to you as Nathan and your mother as Mary. Will that be all right?"  
The young man looked as if his mind were somewhere else. He finally came back to the conversation. "Yes. That will be fine."  
"Your mother will have to stay here under observation. We are putting you in a special secure section of Angel's Hope so that you can retain your privacy. Let the staff know if you have any needs. We have a wide arrange of services including counseling if you need someone to talk to." Joan gave that pleasant therapist smile. "I promise things can only get better."  
The young man looked at the woman on the gurney and then back at Joan. "Yes, I believe they will."  
************************  
Strategy has brought the five players together.  
Fate has his destiny unraveling before him.  
Truth will be presented to the one who is seeking it.  
Trust must allow for emotions to be felt and revealed.  
Hope has just arrived.  
Revenge is seeking justice.  
  


	24. Act 2 Scene 2

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. I also do not own any music by Phil Collins including Against All Odds.  
  
Authors Note: As promised here is the next installment of my Pretender saga! Do you like do you hate? Should I stop torturing you all with the Chapters LOL Please let me know? Now on with the show!  
  
Chapter 24: The Game: Act II Scene 2 (Sometimes you have to stop and smell the roses)  
  
Strategy has brought the five players together.  
Fate has his destiny unraveling before him.  
Truth will be presented to the one who is seeking it.  
Trust must allow for emotions to be felt and revealed.  
Hope has just arrived.  
Revenge is seeking justice.  
*************************  
"Your mother will have to stay here under observation. We are putting you in a special secure section of Angel's Hope so that you can retain your privacy. Let the staff know if you have any needs. We have a wide arrange of services including counseling if you need someone to talk to." Joan gave that pleasant therapist smile. "I promise things can only get better."  
The young man looked at the woman on the gurney and then back at Joan. "Yes, I believe they will."  
"Well again. Welcome and I hope that you will be comfortable with your accommodations." Joan watched as they wheeled the woman down the hall with the young man at her side. "It's refreshing to see such devotion from a son." She turned to Sean. "Please put regular protocols in place. Watch them. I'm sure they are legitimate with the woman's injuries being so severe, but better safe than sorry."  
"Yes Dr. Stedman. I'll let Security know. How is Lily?" Sean asked as he marked his paperwork that would be forwarded to Security.  
"She'll be fine Sean. Thank you for asking. It will just take some time to adjust to her change in attitude. But everything is going somewhat as planned." Joan started down the hallway. "Sean. Please get me a copy of Mark's latest report. I'd like to review it before dinner."  
"Certainly Dr. Stedman." The efficient assistant headed off to get the report and Stedman headed for her office.  
************************  
Jarod came fully into the room. He noticed Parker sitting at the desk as if she had been there her whole life. "That desk becomes you."  
"It's become my home away from home. Not like I have anywhere to go or people to see." Parker retorted coolly.  
Jarod picked up on her coolness. "I'm sorry that you are feeling alone. It's just that so many things are going on."  
"You don't have to feel sorry for anyone Pez Boy. And who said that I was feeling alone. I don't feel anything." Parker got up from the desk.  
"Maybe that's part of the problem." Jarod looked at her with sorrowful eyes. "Maybe you need to start feeling things. I'm worried about Lily too. She's become reclusive. She use to feel everything and now she's put up all these defenses."  
"Maybe it's better that way. No one will be able to hurt her." Parker moved around the desk and walked over to her mother's picture.   
Jarod took in a deep breath. He knew that it would be difficult reaching her and did he really want to keep trying. She was making it obvious that she wasn't interested in…anything. "Your mother wouldn't be happy to see the two of you like this. She loved you and cared for Lily. Wanted the best for both of you."  
"Well funny how my mother loved me so much that she brought Lily here instead of me." Parker just kept looking at the picture, as the words came out that she had been thinking all this time.  
Jarod realized what she was saying and moved closer to Parker. "You're jealous of Lily."  
Parker swung around. "To hell with you. I don't get jealous!"  
"Your mother loved you very much. You can't believe in your heart that she didn't. I don't think she had a choice in bringing Lily here first. Her life was in danger from Raines." Jarod moved so that he was face to face with Parker. He took her hands. "You and I in certain terms were safe. Sydney somewhat protecting me and your father, in his way, protecting you. I'm sure she wanted to bring you here, but something went wrong after she faked her death in the elevator."  
Parker pulled her hands away and turned from Jarod. "It doesn't matter." There was a sadness in her voice that Jarod recognized always happened when she talked about her mother. "She's dead."  
Jarod turned her around. "And because your father is dead, you'll never get the answers. You're wrong Parker. The answers are here. You just have to look for them. This is where her last thoughts before her death are stored. Her journals, notes, personal items. They're all here for you. She preserved them for you. Joan didn't leave this room like this just because she wanted a shrine. I'm sure she hoped one day you would be here. Getting the answers you have been looking for all this time."  
"I'm tired of the search Jarod." Parker broke free of his grip. "It gets me no where but to more misery. The Centre has my life wrapped around its little finger and I can't ever break free. I lived my whole life trying to get Daddy's attention only to find out that he isn't my father. He's my uncle. And that the wheezing sack of bones I've detested my whole life is my real father. It makes me ill." Parker slid down the front of the desk onto the floor. "I just don't want to do this anymore. I'm tired."  
Lily had knocked on the door between her office and Catherine Parker's. She could hear voices, so she opened the office door slightly. Lily listened to Parker and quietly re-shut the door. Lily put her back up against the door and lowered her head.  
She knew that Jarod loved Parker and that Parker had the protective walls up that Jarod kept talking about. The walls that surround you because of the Centre. She was going to have to get them alone. Without all the interruptions of what was going on. They deserved the happiness that had eluded them for so long. The happiness they didn't have a chance at mainly because Catherine Parker saved her instead of them.   
She went to the entrance door of her office and opened it up. Larry was standing there.  
"Is there something I can do for you Miss Lily?" Larry asked.  
"Yes. I want you to radio to the commissary and get the following items set up for me…"   
*************************  
Lyle strode through the doors of the Centre from the parking garage. He was tired of being played and not being in control of his life. He pushed the button for the elevator and waited impatiently for the doors to open. Raines was going to give him the information he wanted.  
The elevator doors opened and out walked Raines accompanied by two of the men from the Sweeper team. "Nice of you to show up today Lyle."  
"I have to talk to you. Now." Lyle hissed subtly, his face showing his determination.  
"Whatever it is Lyle, unless it has to do with that woman, it's going to have to wait. I have an appointment."   
"You can be late. I want answers." Lyle made an aggressive move towards Raines.  
The two Sweepers accompanying Raines moved into a protective stance. "You're in no position to order me anywhere." Raines started to walk away and turned back to Lyle. "I don't have time for your games boy. Bring me tangible evidence or you can be removed permanently from my sight. Remember who's in charge here." Raines turned back around and headed for his car that was now waiting. The two Sweepers watched Lyle as Raines got into the car then followed him into the car.  
Lyle, steaming from the encounter, waited for Raines' car to drive out of sight and then punched the column. He started shaking his hand. "I wouldn't count on it old man. You're not going to be in charge for long."   
He pushed the button again for the elevator and the doors opened. He was in a bad mood now and someone was going to be the brunt of it. He would have to find Angelo or Broots. They were always good for a tongue-lashing. Sydney always challenged him. He was no fun to harass. The elevator doors opened and he proceeded to his office. His secretary wasn't at her desk. Another thing he would have to correct. He got inside and slammed the doors shut. He turned around to see a vase of flowers sitting on his desk.   
"What the hell is this? Lilies? The flower for death." A card was sitting amongst the beautiful flowers. He pulled out the card and read it out loud. "Turn on your computer." Lyle went and put his computer on. The main desktop screen came up. "Nothing. What is going on in this place? I'm going to get my gun and…." Suddenly her face came on the screen.  
"Hello Bobby...."  
************************  
There was a knock on the office door. Parker quickly got up off the floor and straightened herself. Jarod went to the door and opened it. Standing there was Becky.  
"Hi Jarod. Am I interrupting anything?" Becky peeked into the room to see Parker rounding the end of her mother's desk.  
"No. We were just talking. What can I do for you?" Jarod motioned for her to come into the room.  
"No. I can't come in. Lily was wondering if you and Miss Parker could come down to the arboretum. She has to talk to you both."   
"Is there something wrong Becky?" Jarod asked getting concerned.  
"Nothing wrong. She wanted to get your input on something that she has been working on." Becky said with a smile.  
"I don't know if this is the best time Becky. Maybe I can come by in a little bit and…" Jarod started but was interrupted by Parker pushing him out of the way.  
"Now is perfect. Peachy." She went right past Jarod and into the hallway.  
"I guess now is a good time." Jarod shook his head, following Becky out of the door way and down the hall. The women in his life had a habit of dodging important conversations. The group entered the elevator and got off on sublevel 6.   
Becky escorted them to the arboretum doors. She opened the door and allowed Jarod and Parker to pass. Without entering the room, she closed the door behind them. She took out a cell phone and hit speed dial. "They're in."  
Lily was sitting in the control room for the arboretum. She typed onto the keyboard and secured all the locks. After her breakdown in there, Joan had made the control panels inaccessible from the room. So she had complete control of the exit.  
Jarod turned and noticed that Becky had not entered with them. He went back to the glass door and tried to open it. It was locked. "What's going on?" He tried the door handle again to no avail. "Becky!" He yelled through the glass, but the woman was nowhere in sight.  
"Jarod. Come here." Parker yelled from further inside the room.  
When he approached the room, he finally saw what Parker was looking at. There were white twinkling light in the trees, soft lighting, sounds of crickets and night life, and a beautiful table set in the middle of the room. There were two candles, fine china, and crystal glasses. All he could say was. "What?"   
"Because it's time the two of you make up your minds." Came Lily's voice through the loud speakers hidden somewhere in the room. " It's sink or swim. The two of you have been dancing around each other and neither will express your true feelings. So now, you don't get out until you do. This way you know where each of you stands. I'm voting for the theory: united we stand, divided we fall. But that's just my choice ."  
"Lily. Open these doors!" Jarod yelled. His eyes were pleading while he looked for the room cameras. "Don't do this."   
"It's my fault the two of you are where you are in your lives. Now I'm correcting that." Lily's voice sounded hurt.  
Parker thought for a moment. "You heard what we said in the office didn't you? Were you watching us like you are now?"  
"No. I would never do that. Yes, I accidentally heard part of your conversation in the office. I knocked on the door, but you didn't hear me. When I opened the door, I overheard your conversation. So I didn't want to disturb you. But I'm correcting part of what's wrong now. The two of you need to resolve your relationship."  
"Relationship. I can't have any relationships in my life Lily. Love is a luxury I'm not allowed." Parker tried to explain, not sounding very convincing.  
"The only person stopping you is you. Raines, Lyle, the Centre. They have no control over you now. Soon Raines will be out of the picture. And if he's not, he's got to suspect that you are helping me by now. So either way, you will both have to rely on each other. Better that you fight together than separately. So I'm going for now. But I'm going to leave you with a little musical incentive." There was silence for a moment and then Lily came on. "And brother dear. This music is perfect for slow dancing. Hint. Hint."   
"I'm going to kill her." Is all Jarod said.  
"Stand in line." Parker retorted.  
************************  
"You just have to control everything around you, don't you?"  
Lily turned around to see Becky standing behind her. "I don't control everything." Lily half smiled, half smirked.  
"What do you call this?" Becky pointed to the monitor." Now I'm only helping you this time because I think you're right. I can feel it generating off both of them. But they've been running and chasing each other for so long, they won't admit that they're in love." Becky thought for a moment. "I also did the other favor you asked me to, even though I don't totally agree with you. I had Claudia send the flowers and the jamming device is in place on the vase. Are you sure this is going to work? His conditioning may be irreversible after all these years."  
Lily turned back to the keyboard and started typing. The signal was generating from the vase. "It's the only way I know to reach him. I know Bobby is in there somewhere. Just like my memories were. I have to hope that by jamming his chip those memories will surface. We need his alliance."  
"We need or you need?" Becky asked already knowing the answer. "I think you need the redemption more than he needs the saving. Remember I have been your sister forever and I know you, besides being able to read you like a book."  
Lily turned from her desk. "Sometimes I wish I could turn off that gift of yours. You know me too well. Either way – I need him out of the way to get to Raines."  
There was a knock on the door. Becky started heading for the door. "There is also something else that needs to get fixed." She opened the door and Mark was standing there. "Take your own advice. Resolve issues. Night." Becky closed the door behind her.  
"Wait!" Lily got up and ran past Mark. She opened the door to find Larry standing there. She went to go past him and was blocked.   
"Sorry Miss Lily. I have strict orders from Miss Becky not to let you out of this room until she says so." Larry said standing his ground.  
"And since when does she have authority over me?" Lily's temper flared.  
"Since she has Dr. Stedman's authorization And she told me to tell you this. Don't dish out what you don't want served back to yourself."  
Lily stood there in shock and then broke out laughing. Only Becky would use her own mission against her. "I'm sorry Larry. I didn't mean to get flippant with you."  
"Quite alright Miss Lily. Have a good talk." Larry smiled and closed the door as Lily stepped back into the room.  
"I'm sorry Lily. I didn't know this is what Becky called me up here for. She said that you needed me to help you with the mission." Mark had sincerity in his voice and Lily knew that he was telling the truth.  
"It's OK. Becky has a sick sense of irony in her. I have to get back to work." Lily went over and sat at the console. "I have to monitor a project and I have to start the music for Jarod and Miss Parker."  
"You can bury yourself in your work all you want. But eventually you're going to have to talk to me. Tell me what's happening and how you feel about us." He pulled one of the chairs out from the corner. "Or Becky is never going to let us out of here."   
************************  
"Hello Bobby. And don't try to deny it. It's just you and me here. I know who you were. The problem is that you don't know who you were. For a long time neither did I. Raines messed with our bodies and our minds trying to make us the perfect puppets." Lily looked coyly through the screen. "But we're no puppets. Never were, never will be. You and I are a lot alike. We fight for what we want."  
Lyle pulled his chair in and settled in to hear this. "So you think you know me so well."  
"I'm banking that you are not going to rat on me to Raines. I think you'll be remembering the Boogeyman as well as I do soon. He's not to be trusted, but I'm sure you already know that. I have to tell you something very important. There is a way that he is controlling you. There was a chip surgically placed in our heads. If you go to a hospital or private doctor's office and have an x-ray scan done, then you'll see the device. It stimulates the parts of your brain that control anger. I'm not going to get all technical. Just go somewhere that isn't run by the Centre. If they catch wind that you know, you'll be in more danger than me. You have to believe me. I don't want any more harm to come to you. You're special."  
Lyle sat there dumbfounded.   
************************  
"She's right you know Parker." Jarod said as he turned to Parker. "We keep avoiding just telling each other how we feel. I tried in Carthis and at the airport, but…" Jarod looked away from Parker.  
"I can't believe she did this. Are you sure she's your sister? More like she wants to be the damn host of Love Connection." Parker was moving away from Jarod.  
Jarod turned his head back around and followed Parker. "See. You're doing it again. I try to talk to you and you avoid the subject. It's always the same - running and chasing - regardless of who's doing it. With what has happened here, you can't deny this is a turning point? That you have something.." Jarod motioned to everything around him. "And someone to turn to."   
Parker grimaced at the memory of her words.   
"You said you couldn't give me the different ending I wanted before and that was just the way it had to be. But circumstances have changed. Lily's right. You can't go back to the Centre this time." Jarod paused a moment trying to read her body language. "You've gotten what you always wanted - you're free."  
Parker turned back around. "Can we call this free? Now not only are you being chased, but so am I."  
"But we're not being chased. We're here. We could stay here and Raines, Lyle, Cox – none of them would be able to get to us. It would be you and me working together for the better good. For once – change the story and let the ending be up to you. Not them." Jarod took Parker's hands and pulled her into an embrace.   
Lily, seeing her brother embrace Parker, pressed the button on her console that allowed a string of music to start playing. She turned off the monitor in the room; this was their private time. She could feel Mark move up behind her, but she didn't move and just kept working at the console.   
Parker recognized the music that seemed to permeate from the trees themselves as one of Phil Collins' songs. "Against All Odds."  
************************  
The five players are defining their roles.  
Fate and Truth are becoming entangled.  
Trust is being given freedom.  
Hope has taken his post.  
Revenge will be searching for clarity.  
Will the game bring total freedom or total despair?  
  


	25. Act 2 Scene 3

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. I also do not own any music by Phil Collins including Against All Odds.  
  
Chapter 25: The Game: Act II Scene 3 (Reflections and Contemplations)  
  
The five players are defining their roles.  
Fate and Truth are becoming entangled.  
Trust is being given freedom.  
Hope has taken his post.  
Revenge will be searching for clarity.  
Will the game bring total freedom or total despair?  
*************************  
Jarod paused a moment trying to read her body language. "You've gotten what you always wanted - you're free."  
Parker turned back around. "Can we call this free? Now not only are you being chased, but so am I."  
"But we're not being chased. We're here. We could stay here and Raines, Lyle, Cox – none of them would be able to get to us. It would be you and me working together for the better good. For once – change the story and let the ending be up to you. Not them." Jarod took Parker's hands and pulled her into an embrace.  
Lily, seeing her brother embrace Parker, pressed the button on her console that allowed a string of music to start playing. She turned off the monitor in the room; this was their private time. She could feel Mark move up behind her, but she didn't move and just kept working at the console.   
Parker recognized the music that seemed to permeate from the trees themselves as one of Phil Collins' songs. "Against All Odds. Your sister is trying to persuade us."   
Jarod started to slow dance with her. She tensed under his touch. "I have to appease my sister." Jarod didn't know the song, but just smiled for having Parker in his arms.   
Lyle started to turn from the monitor, when he heard the words from Against All Odds start to be sung. He turned again and looked at the monitor. "Who are you?"  
Parker started mouthing the words of the song to Jarod who was entranced with just looking into her eyes as he listened to the words. He found himself intoxicated by the beauty of Parker's face in the dim lighting. Parker found herself trying to convince herself of the words.   
How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace   
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh   
You're the only one who really knew me at all   
Lyle leaned onto his elbows toward the screen and touched the image of Lily as she sang the lyrics to the song.  
Mark moved to the side of Lily, kneeling down beside her and placing his hand on hers. Lily just kept looking straight at the computer. She knew that the broadcast had started on Bobby's end. The computer had beeped with the acknowledgement that the pre-taped transmission had begun. After a few moments, she pushed the button that activated the jamming device signal.  
  
How can you just walk away from me,   
when all I can do is watch you leave   
Parker started to outline Jarod's rugged face with her finger; gently tracing his lips and chin. The touch of Parker's finger sent shivers down Jarod's spine.  
Cos we've shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears   
You're the only one who really knew me at all   
  
Lyle suddenly felt a sharp pain behind his ear. After a few moments it subsided. He looked at the woman's face again and could see the pain. Not physical pain, but a pain in her soul. He knew that there was a reason for that pain. The memory was right at the tip of his tongue.  
So take a look at me now, oh there's just an empty space   
And there's nothing left here to remind me,   
just the memory of your face   
Ooh take a look at me now, well there's just an empty space   
And you coming back to me is against all odds and that's what I've got to face   
Mark pulled Lily up out of her chair and guided her to the middle of the room. He brought her close, looking into her soft brown eyes. She started to say something, but Mark put a finger to her lips. He started to sing the song that he could hear playing from the computer.  
  
I wish I could just make you turn around,   
turn around and see me cry   
Parker looked into Jarod's chestnut brown eyes. And it was there. In his eyes she could see the years of confinement, the years of running, and then she saw the only thing that mattered to him. Through everything else that had happened in his life. Her reflection.  
There's so much I need to say to you,   
so many reasons why   
You're the only one who really knew me at all   
Lyle looked at the flowers that were sitting next to his monitor. A flash of the young girl came to him again. They were sitting in a waiting room. He closed his eyes for a second and the music played on.  
Jarod, now recognizing the refrain of the song, softly sang the words to Parker. Parker was shocked at the beautiful sound of his singing voice.  
  
So take a look at me now, well there's just an empty space   
And there's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face   
Now take a look at me now, cos there's just an empty space   
  
Mark spoke the words softly into Lily's ear as he leaned down cheek to cheek.  
Jarod continued to sing to Parker. She softened in his grip and moved closer to him.  
But to wait for you, is all I can do and that's what I've got to face   
Take a good look at me now, cos I'll still be standing here   
And you coming back to me is against all odds   
It's the chance I've gotta take   
  
Take a look at me now.   
Jarod leaned down, Parker tilted her head and the two kissed. Finishing what had been started on Carthis.  
Mark brushed slightly against Lily's cheek as he came around to face her. He gently took her chin and lifted her face to his. Nervously he let his lips touch hers and kissed her.  
Lyle opened his eyes with a start and looking at the flowers. "Lily."   
************************  
The room was decorated as if it were a bedroom. Wallpaper, chairs, dresser, and a private bathroom. The young man had pulled up a chair next to the woman's bed. The nurses had been in and out of the room since their arrival checking the vitals of the seriously hurt woman. She was mumbling in her sleep. The nurses could not make out what she was saying, but the young man knew. She was saying her son's name.  
The young man knew that a time was approaching when he would have to leave her. He had been told it. He had also been told that they had to stay hidden for now. That their presence there right now would interrupt what was unfolding. What was meant to be. So for now he would sit and wait. Hoping that she would pull through.  
   
*************************  
Raines' vehicle pulled up to the front doors of NuGenesis. A woman and two men came out of the front doors. The one Sweeper got out of the car and opened the door for Raines. After Raines had removed himself and his air tank from the vehicle, he walked over to the waiting entourage.   
"Good afternoon Mr. Raines." The woman walked up to him.  
"How are the renovations going for the new facility Dr. Randolph?" Raines asked wheezing his way up the handicap walk.  
"The facility is almost complete. The equipment will be in place by tomorrow afternoon." The doctor responded quickly.  
"When can we expect our patients to arrive?" Asked the man who had quietly come up behind the group of doctors.  
"Ahh. Mr. Klos. Thank you for joining us." Raines walked through the front doors of the Center and started for the conference room. "Mr. Cox will be retrieving Ms. Broots soon. We are having a problem with security at the moment. I didn't want to take any chances with this project. We've already lost one of the subjects."  
"Yes. A certain woman has been giving the Centre a run for your money. Very interesting. A frontal attack upon a corporation that has unlimited resources. Very bold." He seated himself at the left side of the head of the table. "When we catch her, I would like to personally conduct her interrogation. It should be very interesting."   
"There will be enough time for that Klos." Raines reached into the brief case that the Sweeper had brought in for him. "This is a list of all the female subjects that were utilized during the age bracket we believe she is in. I need you, as head of security for this project, to tell me which one she is."  
"How do you know she is one of these girls?" Klos asked with curiosity.  
"You'll see the profiles of their stay with us. It will explain why I believe it is one of them." Raines continued. "I have confidence that you will be able to eliminate the problem once you have found out who she is?"  
"Swiftly and quickly Mr. Raines. She will be delivered to you as docile as a kitten. Will the transfer of current subjects be delayed until her capture?"  
"Let's see how fast you can deliver her." Raines turned to the rest of the group. "Dr. Randolph how is the conditioning of the child going? Are you seeing any progress with him?"  
"He is still resisting the external stimuli for negative reinforcement. We are only seeing a sample of empathic ability, but we believe that he may be masking his gifts."  
"At three years old?" Raines asked intrigued.  
The doctor continued. "It's like someone is coaching him to not use it. We have caught him talking when no one is in the room."  
Dr. Myers, one of the other doctor's at the table, chimed in. "But then it's within his developmental stage to have imaginary friends."  
"This boy is well beyond his developmental stage doctor. He is a Super Pretender. Will possibly even exceed the expectations we had for Jarod. Both his mother and father came from the Prodigy program."  
"We will keep you updated Mr. Raines if we have any further developments. Should we also forward an update to Mr. Lyle? " Asked Dr. Randolph as she wrote her notes in her palm pilot.  
"No. For right now Lyle is out of the project. He is becoming a liability. I cannot afford for any more seizures of my subjects. Especially the boy. Klos, make sure that only a limited number of people are assigned to this case. I don't want wind of this to get anywhere near Jarod."  
"I thought Jarod was MIA as of this point. Him and the Parker woman." Klos asked looking up from his files.  
"I'm not sure how much persuasion their kidnappers would have to do to get them on their side. As of now, Miss Parker is considered a hostile element towards the Centre." Raines got up to leave. "IF she returns, then we will have to evaluate her continued loyalty to the Centre."  
The others gathered up their belongings and left the room. Raines pulled Klos aside. "I want security tripled once the Broots girl is obtained. Not only will we be expecting retaliation from Mr. Broots, but I can't believe that wherever Jarod and Miss Parker are that they will sit by and let it happen."  
"Why then tripled? We're already set for Jarod and Parker." Klos asked questioningly.  
"Because wherever they are, they are going to plead their case to her." Raines held up a picture of Lily. "And right now I believe she is more dangerous than Jarod, Parker, and Broots combined."  
*************************  
Jarod finished the kiss. He pulled his face away far enough to look to see what Parker's reaction was. To his delight, she didn't look like she was about to pull out her 9mm.  
Parker opened her eyes as Jarod pulled his lips from hers. She was looking at his expression. "What?"  
"I was just checking that you weren't going to kill me." Jarod said with a smile.  
Parker smiled back. "Do you think that you are that bad of a kisser?"  
"Do women normally judge how men show their affection?" Jarod asked as he led Parker over to the candlelit table. The light reflected playfully off the beautiful crystal.  
"You have a lot to learn Jarod." Parker retorted as she took her seat.  
"And I'm hoping you will teach me." He responded with a smile that outshone the crystal. He took his seat. "So where do we go from here?" Jarod lifted the covers off of his and Parker's plates.  
Parker smelled the delicious aroma coming from the plate, but then let out a long sigh. "I don't know Jarod. I'm not even sure we should be heading down this road."  
Jarod saw her faltering and took her hand. "Don't do this Parker. Don't move backwards. You've taken this first step in reclaiming your life. Don't let them have the control back."  
Parker straightened up. "I am the master of my own destiny. No longer will I allow Raines or his crew to have control over me."  
Jarod looked her in the eyes. "Then say it. Say the one thing you know they would never allow you to feel or say."  
Parker looked at the room around them, glistening with twinkling lights. Back around to the table, glowing with the flickering of the candles that reflected off the crystal. And then back at Jarod. In the lighting a glowing haze seemed to envelope him as if he were glowing himself. The man who had been there during every difficult moment of her life – her father, her mother, Tommy, Lyle. No matter what she had done to him, what her family had done to him – he was always there for her. Knew who she was and where she came from. With the bottom line being - he didn't care. A simple kiss had unlocked everything. She looked in to his eyes and started to speak. "I… I…"  
************************  
The Game is afoot – taking on new playing fields.  
A Defense is being mounted.  
The Light has broken through for some, has become clouded for others.  
What will be the next play? 


	26. Act 3 Scene 2

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. The Game is afoot - taking on new playing fields. A Defense is being mounted. The Light has broken through for some, has become clouded for others. What will be the next play? ************************* Jarod saw her faltering and took her hand. "Don't do this Parker. Don't move backwards. You've taken this first step in reclaiming your life. Don't let them have the control back." Parker straightened up. "I am the master of my own destiny. No longer will I allow Raines or his crew to have control over me." Jarod looked her in the eyes. "Then say it. Say the one thing you know they would never allow you to feel or say." Parker looked at the room around them, glistening with twinkling lights. Back around to the table, glowing with the flickering of the candles that reflected off the crystal. And then back at Jarod. In the lighting a glowing haze seemed to envelop him as if he were glowing himself. The man who had been there during every difficult moment of her life - her father, her mother, Tommy, Lyle. No matter what she had done to him, what her family had done to him - he was always there for her. Knew who she was and where she came from. With the bottom line being - he didn't care. A simple kiss had unlocked everything. She looked in to his eyes and started to speak. "I. I." Jarod just kept his eyes on hers, knowing that this was a momentous decision for her. If he said anything prematurely, everything would crumble. He found himself holding his breath as he waited for the words he so wanted to say himself. "I love you." There she had said it. It was like the weight of a thousand tons had been lifted off her chest. No sign of weakness. The world had not come to an end. Just three simple words said. Jarod could see she was shaking ever so slightly. He reached across the table and took her hands. Parker held her breath as she waited for his response. "I love you too." That school girl smile that Jarod remembered all those years ago, shone across her face. "I never thought I would be able to say those words again." Jarod lifted her hand and kissed it softly. "I know. It's going to be all right. We're together now. No one will be able to separate or hurt us." "That's yet to be seen." Parker contemplated asking something. "When did you first know?" "Know what?" Jarod asked puzzled by her question. "That you loved me." Parker decided to take a bite of food before it got cold. "Ever since you gave me my first kiss." Parker gave him a look. "I'm not joking. When I left the Centre, I knew that they were going to send someone after me. I was so happy when it was you." Jarod decided to join her in tasting the delicious pasta dish in front of him. "So you show your love for me by driving me crazy and giving me an ulcer?" Parker kept her poker face on, even though she was teasing him. Jarod poured them a glass of wine. "I didn't give you the ulcer, the Centre did. Now for driving you crazy." Jarod smiled a sweet 'I'm an angel look'. "At first it was a matter of 'I can keep one step in front of you' - like hide and seek. But then I started to find things out. And it wasn't a game any more. I thought you deserved to know the truth. And somewhere in there I realized that my antics were a way of keeping us connected." "And I spent my time trying not to think about the connection. I was taught that love was a liability that someone could use against you. But I think Sydney was hoping that.. well you know.we would find each other. Especially after Thomas died." Parker took a long drink of the wine. "I'm sorry about Thomas. I never meant for you to get hurt again. I never thought the Centre would." Jarod felt a sadness fall over him as he remembered his fallen friend. "I know Jarod. I understood then. His death wasn't your fault. Bridgette had her own agenda. In the end, my stepmother got what she deserved." Parker finished her glass of wine. "She received her judgment for Thomas' death by paying with her own life." Jarod decided to take a drink of his wine. "You drink wine? And you've taken on spirituality?" Parker looked surprise. "Things have changed since you left the Centre. There was a time when the only thing that would pass your lips was a pure sugar Pez and the closest to religion was what the Centre fed you." She gave a half smile. Jarod smiled. "Thank you for changing the subject." Jarod took another bite of his food. "A lot has changed since when I first left the Centre. I have spoken to many people, learned much about their beliefs. They said to have faith. I guess they were right. Have faith and anything can happen. Even us." Jarod looked off. "And I learned there are more enjoyable things in this world than what the Centre fed me. Nutritiously and for my soul. But there is still a piece missing. A void I haven't filled yet. Even after finding half my family, I don't feel whole. I still don't know who I am." "And I started out knowing who I was; to just find out I wasn't who I thought I was. How dysfunctional are we?" "Very. That makes us a perfect couple." Jarod smiled. "Do you realize that we're having an actual civil conversation?" "Who would have imagined? The lab rat and the huntress sitting down to dinner and not a 9mm in site." Parker smiled. "I almost wish it wouldn't end. But reality awaits us." Jarod sighed. "Can't you think of anything but business for a little while?" "No. I'm a realist. This is an illusion put together by your sister." Parker retorted. "My feelings for you aren't an illusion. Seems everyone around us could see them except us." Parker frowned. "Everyone? Who's everyone?" "Lily didn't plan this all on her own. We know that Becky was involved and who knows who else. And I'm sure Sydney would be thrilled to see us together and away from the Centre." "He's always wanted me to leave the Centre. Be free of their influence. The Centre's involvement in Michelle and Nicholas's disappearance out of his life just confirmed that for him. But we have to be realistic Jarod. How are we going to stop the Centre?" "It's no longer me against the Centre or you against the Centre. It's Angel's Hope against the Centre. Your true legacy. The Centre was never your legacy, not if your mother had her way and Lily's plan will cement that." "One victory for Lily does not 'bring down the Centre' make. Raines will come after us and with everything at his disposal. You're one of his properties Jarod. He doesn't look at people for being people. He has burned the soul out of himself. He has also set a challenge for Lyle and I. He has taken Daddy's position at the Centre and wants me to..." "Shhh" Jarod put his finger over Parker's lips. "It doesn't matter what Raines says or does. His time is short. Lily has already started Stage II and..." Jarod stopped his words abruptly and pulled his hand back. "Why did you stop so suddenly? What is Stage II?" Concern mounted in Parker's voice. "What is she planning Jarod?" "I'm not sure you will agree with part of it. I'm not sure I agree with part of it." Parker gave him that tell me or die face. "Lily is trying to contact Bobby." Parker's face changed to fear. "She can't do that Jarod. He's not Bobby, he's Lyle. What is she thinking?" Parker got up and walked away from the table and towards the door. She stopped when she remembered that the doors were locked. "Calm down Parker." Jarod came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She instinctively went to pull away, but then relaxed a little. "Together. Remember?" "She's going to get us all a one way ticket to the Renewal Wing." Parker said exasperated. "She seems to think she can reach him. That the Bobby she knew is still in there somewhere. Just like her memories were hidden for all these years." "Jarod. I have been working with him all these years. I can see the coldness in his eyes." She stopped for a moment before she proceeded. "Sydney and I think that he has killed women. We couldn't prove it, Lyle got rid of the evidence." "I know. I've told her to be careful. She said that if this first initial contact doesn't work, she'll proceed with her plan as if he were Lyle. But it's something else about this whole thing." Jarod walked back among the twinkling lights. "It has to do with redemption." Parker followed him back into the room. Jarod turned back around to face Parker. "I think as much as I helped all those people to atone for the pain and suffering that my simulations caused, she has to do this to atone for whatever happened with Lyle. I can't blame her for that. So even though I believe that Lyle is as evil as Raines, I have to let her try. If there is the slightest chance she can reach him, I have to let her try. For her own sanity." Parker paced around in her spot and then looked up at Jarod. "I know...but it's Lyle." Jarod took her hands into his. "Faith Parker, you have to have faith." ************************ Mark brushed slightly against Lily's cheek as he came around to face her. He gently took her chin and lifted her face to his. Nervously he let his lips touch hers and kissed her. Lily pulled away, turning so her back was to Mark. Closing her eyes in an effort to decipher the emotions that she was feeling. Mark hung his head. "I could take it as a good sign that you didn't kill me right on the spot for kissing you." He lifted his head and turned her around to face him. "I need to know one thing. When this is all over, will there be an us?" ************************ Players Each trying to find out where they fit in the game. Moving in straight lines and circles. In the end, trying to figure out who they are. 


	27. Feelings & Fall Outs

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. I also do not own any music by Phil Collins including Against All Odds.  
  
Players  
Each trying to find out where they fit in the game.  
Moving in straight lines and circles.  
In the end, trying to figure out who they are.  
*************************  
Mark hung his head. "I could take it as a good sign that you didn't kill me right on the spot for kissing you." He lifted his head and turned her around to face him. "I need to know one thing. When this is all over, will there be an us?"   
Lily looked into Mark's face, trying not to cry. "I don't know. A lot has changed."  
"But my feelings for you haven't changed. And I don't think, deep down, yours have either. You didn't pull away from that kiss. You were kissing back. So somewhere in there." Mark pointed to Lily's heart. "You still love me."  
"You're right. Love doesn't just turn on and off like a switch. But a knife in your back sure puts a damper on things." Lily couldn't face him any more. She started walking around the room. "You knew important information about my life and didn't tell me. A relationship is based on trust." She looked back at him.   
"I'm sorry." Mark tried to follow her, but Lily just kept moving. "Joan gave very specific orders that your file was to remain confidential. She said that it was in your best interest. And then when we started seeing each other, she warned me again that informing you of that information could be detrimental. I never wanted to have anything hurt you."  
"But you were supposed to be the one person who knew me. Keeping my life from me was the worst thing you could ever do. You knew that I wanted….needed to know who I was. Years of struggling to figure out where I fit into this world. Not just the computer programmer or the virologist or the engineer, but who I am. I've never known where I came from, who were my parents, and you let me believe that Becky was my sister. So in the end not only did you hurt me, but you hurt her too."  
"This whole thing is such a mess. I know that I have an obligation to my job, but I also don't want to lose you. What do I have to do to convince you that you are the most important person in my life?" Mark looked at her hopefully.  
"Who am I?" Lily's face looked questioningly. "I've already short circuited, so telling me isn't going to do anything."  
"Lily." He looked at her pleadingly. "I can't…I" He looked up at the monitor that was stationed in the corner of the room.   
"Then there's nothing more to be said." Lily went back to her console. "There can't be an us if I don't know who I am." Lily noticed that the transmission to Bobby had concluded. Maybe he was the only one who really knew who she was.  
Mark saw that she was monitoring the transmission again and his heart ached. She had attached herself to someone who could remind her of her past. But he wanted her to think about the future and he knew the only way she could do that. "O'Connor."  
Lily's head whipped around. "What did you say?"  
"Your real last name is O'Connor." Mark started speaking quickly, knowing what was going to happen. "You are the daughter of Margaret and Charles O'Connor. You have two brothers, Jarod and Kyle. You have a sister named Emily. Your mother became pregnant with you and Jarod after visiting a fertility clinic named NuGenesis. They are connected to the Centre. Raines was taking the twins of chosen couples and separating…." Both turned their heads as the lock on the door sounded and Joan stepped in through the door. There were guards and a lab assistant with her.  
"Mark. Come with me please." She spoke harshly and was noticeably upset.   
"Joan. She has the right to kno…" Mark began, but was cut off abruptly.  
"Not another word. You have compromised your authority and put this whole project in danger. I want you in my office now!"  
Lily stood up and moved in front of Mark from her console. "I have the right to know who I am. I have a family. I've never had a family before except for Becky. It's not Mark's fault - I pushed him into it."  
Mark put his hands onto Lily's shoulders. He subconsciously moved his thumbs to the back of Lily's neck and started rubbing it. He had always done this when he knew she was stressed. Suddenly he realized it wasn't there. "Lily. Where is your Angel's Hope medallion?"  
Joan was about to say something when she stopped short.   
Lily felt around her neck and checked in her blouse. "I never realized it was missing. Did they take it off during the surgery?"  
"Joan I was there during surgery. They didn't take it off. That means it was already gone. Do you realize what this means?"  
"That she lost it during the struggle at the Centre. They may have evidence that Angel's Hope exists and Lily's name. Get a Retrieval team ready. Get me the operative at the Centre. See if they have heard anything."  
"Joan - stop! If Raines knew anything, he would have used it in New Orleans. They haven't found it." Lily went over to the excited woman to calm her down. "Get the Alpha Retrieval Team out there. They will get in and out without detection."  
"Will the two of you listen to me!" Mark yelled. Both Lily and Joan stopped and looked at the screaming man. "Thank you. First. Joan, Lily's right. We would have heard something by now if they had the medallion. Second. You wanted a reason why Lily's behavior changed radically after the chip malfunctioned the way it did. You got your answer. She doesn't have her medallion on."  
"What does my medallion have to do with anything?" Lily asked completely confused.  
Mark looked at Joan as the realization set in. "Go ahead and tell her. The situation's completely out of control as it is."   
Mark came next to Lily and held her hands. "Your medallion had a jamming device in it. Similar to the device you had implanted in the vase."  
"What vase?" Joan asked, but was interrupted by Lily.  
"So you were jamming the negative impulses all along?" Lily asked again confused.  
Mark looked at Joan again. "Why not?" Joan said throwing her hands up in the air.  
Mark took a deep breath. "It not only jammed the negative impulses, but it also aided in the repression of...your memories."  
Lily's confusion turned to anger. She slipped her hands from Mark's. "Oh this is great! Not only do you lie to me, but you give me hypnotic jewelry. What next? Is there a tracking device in my shoes?"  
Mark tried to take her hands again, but ended up grabbing her elbows instead. "But this is good news. We have backups of your medallion. You put it on and you'll be back the way you were. No more horrid nightmares, no more anger spurts, and you'll feel calmer. We can get back to normal. Glen." Mark called to the technician. "Go to the lab and get another medallion."  
The technician hesitated. "Dr. Stedman?"  
"Go ahead." Joan was watching Lily intently. She could see that her young prodigy was not jumping with excitement. "What's going on inside Lily?"  
Mark, in his joy, had not noticed that Lily was not happy at all. "What's wrong?"  
"Obviously the same thing that's been wrong for all these days. You really don't understand what's going on with me at all." She went over to the console and unlocked the doors to the arboretum. "I hope there are at least two people who have learned that they do know each other. Even if they didn't want to admit it."  
"Who's where? Why are there things going on here that I don't know?" Joan was back in the game.  
"I locked Jarod and Parker in the arboretum. They needed to talk things out. Without all the bullshit that is going on around them." Lily started pacing.  
"And what else have you done Lily? Joan asked grabbing Lily. "What else have you done?"  
Lily looked into Joan's face. "Saving a friend. Maybe the only person who ever cared about the real me."  
"Bobby again. Lily. We're not even sure that the Bobby you knew even still exists. When are you going to stop playing this game and get back in the swing? You have never operated a mission like this before. You are endangering not only yourself, but also your other teams members."  
"I am not playing a game and I know exactly what I'm doing. I will evaluate whether or not Bobby is a liability and act accordingly. I have never lost a mission. That son of a bitch is going to pay for what he did to my family and me if it is the last thing I do. If you have ever trusted me in my life, trust me now!" Lily's determination showed through like a shining star.  
Just then Glen came back into the room. He handed Mark the medallion. Mark looked at Lily and Joan.  
"What do you want to do Lily? It's your call." Joan said as she walked away from the young lady.  
She took the medallion from Mark and looked at it. "The two of you may not like what you've been seeing lately. But if I don't go through this, I'll never figure out who I am. A person's personality is the sum of their entire life's experiences. How can I be a whole person without knowing or feeling the memories you don't want me to have?"  
"Then I should conclude that you do not want to wear the medallion." Joan surmised.  
Lily thought for a moment. "How about a compromise?"  
"A compromise?" Asked Mark.  
"You modify the medallion to help control the negative emotions, but allow the memories to proceed."  
"Lily. If you do that you will continue to remember all those horrible things that happened to you on SL 27. I don't want you to be in any more pain." Mark pleaded.  
"You have no idea what I went through. You weren't there." Lily retorted.  
Mark looked straight into her eyes. "Yes I was."  
************************  
Lyle opened his eyes with a start and looking at the flowers. "Lily."   
Another flash of the young girl came to him and then another. They were in SL27, fighting with the guards and trying to keep their sanity. Visions of being kept in a dark room being pumped full of drugs and being shown images on a big screen.   
Lyle pushed himself away from his desk in an effort to escape the images he was seeing. He felt more pain to the side of his skull and grabbed his head as he knocked back into the desk. More images flooded him. He could see himself being led down the corridor on SL27 and running for one of the room's door. He jumped high enough to see through the observation window and saw Lily lying on the floor. She was rocking in the fetal position on her side. Her large screen was also showing horrible scenes of people being murdered. He grabbed and shook the locked door handle trying to get into the room as the guards that were accompanying him pulled him away from the door. He was screaming her name...Lily.  
Lyle slid down his desk. He had been unable to help her then, but then he remembered there were other times. When they had gotten out of their rooms and hid. They had talked and cried with each other until they were found. They had spoke of their dreams of escaping the Centre. Finding a way to get out and run away from the pain and the horror.   
And then she was gone. He remembered seeing the darken shapes of Lily and...and Angelo. They had all been friends and Angelo had pulled her farther into the vent. And that was the last he had seen of her. That night he had been sent....where had he been sent? He couldn't remember. But through everything one thing was constant - Raines' face. He had been there through everything that had happened. Supervising it. And for the first time in a long time Lyle felt his soul. And it ached with the pain of everything that he had gone through. He pulled his knees up to his chest. Sitting on the floor of his office alone and in pain, he did something that he hadn't done since he was six - he cried.  
*************************   
Jarod took her hands into his. "Faith Parker, you have to have faith."   
"I could say faith is for the religious zealots and the righteous, neither of which have been acquainted with the Centre." Parker half wisecracked. Jarod made a face at her. "OK. I will believe that you believe she is doing the right thing. But bottom line is if we end up at the Renewal Wing, I'm requesting that you have the seat right next to mine so I can say I told you so."  
"If I'm in the chair next to you, you won't know me to say anything anyway." Jarod quipped back. "But that's never going to happen." Jarod wrapped his arms around Parker. "United remember. I'm never going to let anything separate us again. Ever." He leaned down and kissed her again.   
Parker relaxed in his arms and allowed him to pull her closer. It was as if time itself had stopped and that they had intertwined into one.   
The stars had aligned and the chosen were ready. Ready to face what was ahead of them and what was creeping up behind them.   
************************  
The Eight Ball has been shaken.  
The Player's futures are at hand.  
Each shaking and taking a chance for happiness.  
As for the answers - the ball reads "Maybe" 


	28. The Truth Behid Love and Hate

Subj:Angel's Hope - ch 28   
Date:2/11/2003 10:23:24 PM Central Standard Time  
From:scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com  
To:mickey2384@aol.com  
Sent from the Internet (Details)  
Ok MIck - here is 28  
Angel's Hope  
Written by scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com  
  
Chapter 28: The Truth Behind Love and Hate  
The Eight Ball has been shaken.  
The Player's futures are at hand.  
Each shaking and taking a chance for happiness.  
As for the answers - the ball reads "Maybe"  
*************************  
Jarod took her hands into his. "Faith Parker, you have to have faith."   
"I could say faith is for the religious zealots and the righteous, neither of which have been acquainted with the Centre." Parker half wisecracked. Jarod made a face at her. "OK. I will believe that you believe she is doing the right thing. But bottom line is if we end up at the Renewal Wing, I'm requesting that you have the seat right next to mine so I can say I told you so."  
"If I'm in the chair next to you, you won't know me to say anything anyway." Jarod quipped back. "But that's never going to happen." Jarod wrapped his arms around Parker. "United remember. I'm never going to let anything separate us again. Ever." He leaned down and kissed her again.   
Parker relaxed in his arms and allowed him to pull her closer. It was as if time itself had stopped and that they had intertwined into one.   
The stars had aligned and the chosen were ready. Ready to face what was ahead of them and what was creeping up behind them.  
Jarod pulled back from Parker and just took in her radiance. At that moment, in that place, she was the Parker he had known all those years ago. For the first time he saw contentment in her face. It caused a warm feeling to flush through his body. His stomach had butterflies and his heart was racing. It was a done deal – he was in love.  
"What are you thinking?" Parker asked noticing that even though he was looking at her, he was really somewhere else in his mind.   
"How I wish we could suspend this moment in time. It's peaceful. For once I don't have to worry whether someone is chasing me or is going to hurt you." Jarod said as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face.  
"You worried whether they were going to hurt me? I pack a 9mm and you were worried about me."   
"I worried that with every bit of your life that I gave you, that they would panic and do something stupid. In part, I credit your father for intervening when I think Raines would have pursued other measures. But I knew that even he couldn't prevent everything. Especially when you got shot in the back. When I saw your body just hanging in your father's arms and there was so much blood."   
"Syd told me after you escaped from the plane that you were recaptured because you stayed behind for me. You almost spent the rest of your life a slave to the Triumverate because you tried to save me. He also showed me the DSA of what Lyle did to you. You could have gone with your father and been with your family right now. After everything I'd done to you, why did you stay?"  
"I went on autopilot. All I could think about was getting you to a hospital. That I couldn't let you die there on that tarmac." Jarod lifted Parker's chin. "I didn't want you to leave me. I could withstand hell as long as you were all right."  
"Hell being the Centre. Which makes Raines Beelzebub and Lyle the spawn of Satan. And that brings us back to the same problem. Lily's obsession with my dear brother." Parker leaned her head against Jarod's shoulder. "I'm doing it again. Avoiding. I have come to realize when I am doing it."  
Jarod smiled. "Has Dr. Stedman been analyzing you?"  
"No. Becky. She told me that I don't allow myself to feel. She's right. Every time I think someone is getting close, I push them away. It's been that way my entire life." Parker lifted her head up and gently pushed off Jarod's chest. She turned and walked away from Jarod.  
Jarod couldn't move. He was afraid that in that moment she might have changed her mind. That maybe she thought that this was just another moment of weakness. He felt like his heart had stopped beating.  
Parker looked up into the trees and touched the leaves. "I don't want to do that anymore. I've taken that hard look Jarod and I don't like what I see. I wasn't ready to make that turning point before."  
Jarod came up behind her and put his arms around her. His heart making up the missing beats by furiously thumping in his chest. "But you are now?"  
Parker rolled in his arms. "I'm willing to try. I can't guarantee anything. I just know that I don't want to pass on the Parker legacy to my children. I want them to have my mother's legacy."  
Jarod smiled. "That's the first time I have ever heard you say that you wanted children."  
Parker smiled slyly. "I might want children, if I was with the right man. A white knight with a trusty steed."  
Jarod's face dropped. "A king or queen has neither knighted me nor do I have a horse." Parker looked at Jarod in surprise at his answer. Then Jarod gave a big grin. "Only kidding."  
"I'm glad. I was just starting to rethink the whole genius thing." Parker tickled his ribs. Jarod jumped and laughed from the tickle.   
"Ah. A weakness." Parker began to tickle Jarod again, Jarod backing up trying to escape the attack.  
"Parker stop. Please. I don't want to hurt you." He backed up so far that he tripped over one of the boulders, which sent him rolling to the ground.  
Parker followed him to the ground and continued her assault. "You hurt me. I don't think so." She continued her tickling until Jarod was a laughing mess. He tried rolling away, but Parker blocked him with her knee.  
Jarod knocked her knee out from under her, which sent her falling face first toward the floor. In one swift movement he rolled over, pinning Parker underneath him. His strong arms outstretched on both sides of her. He could see that she was breathing heavily. She looked beautiful lying there on the grass. The lights twinkling in her eyes.   
Parker brought her hands up, cupping his strong chin in her delicate hands. With little resistance, she brought his face down to hers. She began by placing small kisses on his lips and then letting them blossom into a full passionate kiss.   
Jarod pulled from the kiss and started to nibble down Parker's neck. She responded by tilting her head back allowing Jarod full access to start up the other side. She nuzzled into his neck, planting kisses of her own.   
Both stopped and looked into each other's eyes. "Are you sure?" Jarod asked sheepishly.  
"I haven't been more sure of anything in my whole life." She responded as they intertwined their bodies and souls.   
*************************  
"You have no idea what I went through. You weren't there." Lily retorted.  
Mark looked straight into her eyes. "Yes I was."  
Lily was flustered. "What do you mean 'yes you were'? You were never at the Centre."   
"Mark was one of the green files." Joan broke the stalemate.  
"Green files. You were one of Raines' projects? You were tortured like I was?" Lily asked realizing that her memories could be his own.  
"Raines' noticed early on that my gifts were more centered on the psychological. I could read people and determine their reactions. He started having me evaluate his experiments. He always threatened that I could either assist him or become like the others." Mark's face showed his uneasiness at revealing his past.  
"So you assisted him with the experiments?" There was a lump forming in the pit of Lily's stomach.  
"No. I never assisted. I observed and evaluated. I was afraid of him Lily. I couldn't see any escape and I didn't want to end up like..."  
Lily interrupted him. "Like me."  
Mark looked at Lily and his worst fears were confirmed. So he decided to just lay it all down for her. "When they brought you to the Centre I knew that you were special. There was all this security added and Raines started having more meetings behind closed doors. I would observe you and wipe your brow at the end."  
Lily had a sudden flash of lying on the floor of her room at the Centre and an older boy wiping her forehead with a cold cloth. He was smiling down at her telling her it would be all right.  
Mark continued. "I would also watch you through the observation window. I saw you escape from your room and I didn't say anything. I knew you were meeting Bobby and that it was against the rules. A few times I even tried to stop Raines from doing his experiments. That's when it all came to an end."  
Lily's eyes were tearing. She was desperately trying to keep her anger in check. "An end?"  
Mark came up to Lily and tenderly held her by her elbows. "When Raines found out that I was protecting you, he went on a rampage."  
"You stood up to Raines for me?" Lily kept looking at Mark's chest, not able to look into his eyes.  
Mark took her hands to his face and motioned yes. He kissed her hands and let them go. "He tore the room apart. Screamed that I betrayed him and after he had treated me like a son. I told him that I wouldn't let him do anything to you any more. That I was going to get you out of there. He told me that my objectivity had been compromised and I had become a liability. That night he sent me to another facility. I fought to try and get to you, but in the end he just sedated me and shipped me off. I tried to get the doctor's at the new facility to tell me how you were, but they told me to concentrate on my studies."  
"You were in love with me even then, weren't you?" Lily asked trying to digest everything she had heard.  
"In a young boy's way, yes I suppose. But in the end I couldn't save you. I wanted to die. Then in my mid teens Joan's people found me."  
"And I brought him to a safe house. I financed his college education and then brought him here." Joan added trying to size up what Lily would do next.  
Mark also was trying to read Lily's face. "Lily. I know there is a lot that you are remembering and some of that is information I possess…"  
"But no further information is going to be given out without my authorization." Joan ended Mark's sentence. Mark gave a frustrated look to Joan. "I mean it. No more!" She said sharply.  
Lily's face looked drained and her body tired. She turned to Joan. "I don't want to argue any more. I'm over it. You want to keep secrets, go ahead." Lily headed for the door.  
"Where are you going?" Mark asked heading for the door after her.  
"I need to get out of here. I need time to think. There are too many things and too many voices talking inside my head and I need to get a handle on things." Lily opened the door and Mark went to follow. Lily put her palm up against his chest. "Alone." The hurt expression on Mark's face conveyed his disappointment. She looked past Mark to Joan. "The funny thing about secrets. They tend to come around and bite you in the ass. And by the way, Jarod and Miss Parker are in the arboretum. I gave them a night to be alone so that they can figure out their lives. I strongly suggest that you give them that time. After everything they've gone through, they deserve one night off." Lily turned back around and in a second was gone through the door.  
Mark looked at Joan with angered eyes. "I will be in my office Dr. Stedman." He stormed out the door leaving Joan standing in the middle of the room wondering how everything had become such a mess.   
*************************  
And for the first time in a long time Lyle felt his soul. And it ached with the pain of everything that he had gone through. He pulled his knees up to his chest. Sitting on the floor of his office alone and in pain, he did something that he hadn't done since he was six - he cried.  
"What are you doing you idiot? Sitting on the floor babbling like a baby. Pull yourself together." Lyle wiped all evidence of the tears from his face. He went into his washroom and splashed cold water onto his face. He grabbed the small blue hand towel and wiped his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the reflection of himself. Hair nicely groomed, crisp suit - everything that the good Centre employee was suppose to wear. Or was it good Centre puppet. Suddenly the image that reflected from that mirror revolted him.  
He had been a free spirit as a child. Intelligent, athletic, fun loving - all taken away by Raines and the Bowman's. They had stolen his childhood. When he should have been playing football and going to the movies with girls - he had been locked in a shed. Raines had taken him and sent him to places where he learned torture and use inhumane ways of hurting people. He had never questioned these lessons before. He had embraced them and coveted them as his own.  
The memories were there. He could feel them. Waiting like a floodgate to crash open upon him. They held the key to why he had become who he was. But now, these ideas disgusted him. Lyle walked out of the rest room and went to the vase of flowers. He picked the vase up and looked at the intricate design. Why had she sent them? A reminder of who she was? His fingers ran across the glassy textured surface till he hit a larger design in the pattern.  
He felt that the design was raised about an inch above the vase. It was circular in shape. Lyle thought for a moment and then took the flowers out of the vase. He raised the vase above his head and smashed it on the floor. The fragile vase broke into a million pieces. Lyle got onto his knees and searched through the broken pieces till he found what he had been looking for. A medallion on a chain had been imbedded into the vase. There was an engraving on it. "Wear this if you want the true answers. Love, L." He also spotted a piece of paper amongst the pieces. He read it to himself. "Seek the theater of Truth and you will find me. I know the secrets and have the solutions. I will see you in two days at the city of Angels."  
Lyle put the piece of paper in his jacket pocket and after a moment put the chain of the medallion over his head. He tucked the medallion into his shirt. He went to the phone and dialed. "This is Lyle. I want you to locate Sydney and Broots and page me when you find them." Lyle pulled the phone book out of his desk and started looking through the pages looking for non-Centre affiliated clinics.  
************************  
Lily had gotten onto the elevator, her guard behind her like a tail. "Larry. Tonight, can you just give me a little space?"  
"I can't leave you totally alone Miss Lily, but I think I can keep far enough behind that you won't notice me."  
The elevator doors opened and Lily went to walk out. "Thank you Larry. You're the first one today to respect my wishes."  
"You're welcome. I hope that you find whatever you're looking for."  
"I hope so too." Lily had gotten off on one of the dormitory floors that were seldom used. She had just wanted to get away from everyone and think. She walked down the rose and pink colored hallway just clearing her mind. She had stopped to look at one of the paintings when she heard music playing down the hall. She could hear the words.  
She sits alone  
An empty stare   
A mother's face she wears.  
Where did she go wrong?  
The fight is gone.  
Lord help this broken home.....  
Lily looked through the open door and saw a woman lying in the bed. She looked so frail. Lily could see tuffs of red hair under her bandages. Lily had an urge to go in and hold the woman's hand. "What terrible thing has happened to you?"  
And from the dark corner of the room came a response. "She's lost."  
Lily turned to see a good-looking young man sitting in the corner. "Hello. My name is Lily. Who are you?"  
"A game piece to the your future." The young man replied  
************************  
The Roulette wheel spins.  
The ball is in motion.  
The world is spinning out of control.  
Which Players will come up winners?  
And which will just keep waiting for the spinning to stop.   
  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. I also do not own any music by Journey including Mother, Father.  
This is my first try at my own storyline. I would love to hear feedback. Please e-mail me at scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com.   
Colleen  
  
  
Do you Yahoo!?  
Yahoo! Shopping - Send Flowers for Valentine's Day 


	29. Expanding Horizons

Chapter 29: Expanding Horizons  
  
The Roulette wheel spins.  
  
The ball is in motion.  
  
The world is spinning out of control.  
  
Which Players will come up winners?  
  
And which will just keep waiting for the spinning to stop.  
  
*************************  
  
Lily had gotten onto the elevator, her guard behind her like a tail. "Larry. Tonight, can you just give me a little space?"  
  
"I can't leave you totally alone Miss Lily, but I think I can keep far enough behind that you won't notice me."  
  
The elevator doors opened and Lily went to walk out. "Thank you Larry. You're the first one today to respect my wishes."  
  
"You're welcome. I hope that you find whatever you're looking for."  
  
"I hope so too." Lily had gotten off on one of the dormitory floors that were seldom used. She had just wanted to get away from everyone and think. She walked down the rose and pink colored hallway just clearing her mind. She had stopped to look at one of the paintings when she heard music playing down the hall. She could hear the words.  
  
She sits alone  
  
An empty stare   
  
A mother's face she wears.  
  
Where did she go wrong?  
  
The fight is gone.  
  
Lord help this broken home.....  
  
Curious, Lily proceeded down the hall checking each room as she went.   
  
Hey, mother, father, sister   
Hey, come back, tryin', believein'   
Hey, mother, father, dreamer  
  
Lily looked through one of the open doors and saw a woman lying in the bed. She looked so frail. Lily could see tuffs of red hair under her bandages. Lily had an urge to go in and hold the woman's hand. "What terrible thing has happened to you?" The music continued to drift through the air.  
  
Don't you know that I'm alive for you   
I'm your sevenths son   
And when lightin' strikes the family   
Have faith, believe.  
  
And from the dark corner of the room came a response. "She's lost."  
  
Lily turned to see a good-looking young man sitting in the corner. He had short brown hair and brooding good looks. "Hello. My name is Lily. Who are you?"  
  
"A game piece to the your future." The young man replied  
  
"So cryptic. What do you know of my future? Are you a fortuneteller?" Lily asked trying to size up the good-looking stranger.  
  
"Of a sorts. Are you always this rude?" The young man tilted his head with a questioning glare.   
  
"No. Only when I meet strangers who seem to know me." Lily retorted.  
  
"Touché. But I do know that right now you are very confused and unsure of yourself." He got up from his chair in the corner and Lily backed up towards the doorway. "You don't have to be cautious of me. I would never hurt you. Right now I have a different path than harming anyone. I am her Guardian."  
  
Lily picked up the word Guardian quickly. "You work for Dr. Stedman?"  
  
"No. I just met Dr. Stedman when I brought her here. Her body was badly hurt, but your facility doctors have helped to heal her. But her soul is wrought with guilt and sorrow. She is lost."  
  
"I know the feeling. What happened to her?" Lily asked moving towards the bed.  
  
"Better attitude. We were running away from a Sweeper Team and she was hit." The young man took stance on the other side of the bed. "She is very fragile right now. She has been running a very long time."  
  
Lily took the chart from the end of the bed. "Looks like she is in stable condition. Our team in Atlanta got to her in just enough time. Bullets didn't hit her lungs. The lacerations to her face weren't bad. But she hasn't responded to..."  
  
The young man cut her off short. "Are you always this sensitive?"   
  
"Excuse me?" Lily asked a little shocked.  
  
"She isn't a simulation; she's a person. A person who needs a loving hand, not a cold technician. Don't analyze her; be there for her."  
  
Lily took a deep breath and took stock of herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I mean I wasn't.."  
  
The young man came around the bed and pulled a chair from behind Lily. "Sit here and be with her. Different situations call for different reactions. You will never succeed if you don't find the balance between the two worlds you have lived in." He was hoping that she was listening to the music.  
  
Through bitter tears   
And wounded years, those ties   
of blood were strong   
So much to say, those yesterdays   
So now don't you turn away.   
The words of the song caught her attention again. Lily cautiously sat down and took the woman's hand. She stirred a little, mumbling in her sleep. "How is it that I don't even know me, but you can analyze my life in under ten minutes?"   
  
The young man went back to the chair he originally was sitting in and pulled it to the bedside. "There are some who believe that loved ones who have passed on still watch over us. For those who can listen, they are the guides. They can advise you and help you. That's why I am here."  
  
  
  
And when lightin' strikes the family   
Have faith, believe  
  
Believe, Believe.  
Lily listened to the last refrain of the song. "Normally I would say that you were insane, but my sister Becky is very empathic. She says that sometimes it's like someone is whispering in her ear. Other times she can touch someone or something and can see images. Do you have this gift too?"  
  
"I can hear people talking to me. Like I knew to play that song. That right now you're attuned to music and you would come."  
  
"You knew I was coming?" Lily asked.  
  
"Told. By the voices. At first when I heard them it was all the time, barraging me day and night. I thought I was going insane, but then I learned from someone very special to trust those voices. They saved my life and the lives of my sister and brother. And now her."   
  
"She's very lucky that you listened. I envy that you have balance in your life and can use your gift to help others." Lily watched the woman, seeing that she was in the middle of a horrible nightmare. A shiver crept up her spine as she remembered the memories she had been having. Tears started in the cracks of the woman's eyes. Small droplets started falling down her cheek. Lily took her finger and gently wiped them away being careful not to touch the wound dressing. The woman stirred a little.  
  
"My life hasn't always been balanced. There was a time when a person I trusted told me things and made me do something that could have hurt a lot of people. My brother found me and helped me to learn that I was trusting the wrong person and the voices were whom I could trust. Everything was very confusing and I decided to go off by myself to find out who I was. I met a gentleman who taught me meditation. It helped me to control my inner demons and my inner sense. Now I can hear the voices clearer."  
  
"Found yourself a guru huh?" Lily put the woman's hand gently down on the bed and started to get up to leave. "Well I have to get going. I'm sure the nurses will be here soon and I'm not on their best terms these days. They'll take good care of her. I really wanted to be alone anyway tonight." She headed for the door.  
  
The young man got up from his chair and came around the bed. "You can't run away from everyone forever. Find your center and you will be able to defeat all the demons threatening to destroy you from within. Think about what I'm telling you. Your family needs you."  
  
"I'll think about it." Lily was almost out the door when she turned back around. "You never did tell me your name."  
  
"Dr. Stedman said I was to be called Nathan. She was close, my name is Ethan." The young man looked at her to see if any spark came from the recognition of his name. "But no one can know that I am here."  
  
"Well it was nice to meet you Ethan and your secret is safe with me. For once I'll be holding the secret." Lily walked out to the hallway and headed back towards the elevator.  
  
Ethan followed her into the hallway. "Come back tomorrow and I will help you to find your center."  
  
Lily turned around as she continued walking. "I'm leaving tomorrow for an appointment, but I'll check up on you both before I go."   
  
"Make sure you do." Ethan watched her go around the bend in the hallway and disappear. "Your life depends on it."  
  
************************  
  
Jarod watched Parker as she got redressed amongst the twinkling lights. A joy permeated through his body that no one would be able to extinguish. His heart was beating wildly and he felt as if he were to die tomorrow it wouldn't matter. Because he had had that one perfect moment in time.  
  
Parker noticed Jarod staring at her. "You might want to wipe that drool that is running down your chin."  
  
Jarod ran his hand along his chin line. "I don't feel any drool..."  
  
Parker started laughing. "I was joking Jarod. We have to work on your sense of humor."  
  
"Like the Three Stooges. Wah wah wah wah." Jarod made the Three Stooges gesture.  
  
"Will you ever grow up?" Jarod went to answer, but Parker bent down and put her finger over his lips. He returned the gesture with a kiss. "Don't answer that. I don't think I want to know." Parker handed Jarod his pants. "Better get dressed before the warden catches you with your pants down."  
  
"Very funny." Jarod started getting dressed. Now it was Parker's turn to ogle. "I don't think that Lily would allow Dr. Stedman in here." Jarod turned slightly to look at the door on the other side of the room. "But I'm not quite sure that we didn't give the guards something to talk about."  
  
"I'd be more worried about making an x-rated video. Did the cameras ever come back on?" Parker looked at the cameras that she knew of in the room. The red lights were still off. "Darn. They're still off. And I was going to ask for a copy."  
  
Jarod came up behind Parker and wrapped his arms around her. He gently planted a kiss on her neck.   
  
"Do I know you Sir? I don't normally let my prey nuzzle on my neck." Parker tried to hide a smile.  
  
Jarod turned her around and pulled her close to him so that she was almost a part of his own body. "I concede. You have caught me and I hope that you never let me go. I am your prisoner." He bent down to kiss her, but Parker stopped him. He pulled his head back in shock.  
  
"You will never be my prisoner. Turning points remember. I'd rather you'd be my.... Partner." Parker took Jarod's face in her hands and brought it down.  
  
Before their lips locked, she heard Jarod say. "Forever."   
  
************************   
  
Lyle was not use to waiting. Sitting in this dingy ER waiting room in the middle of nowhere made him cringe. People he had always thought below him rambled past him in disarray. Children with broken limbs, homeless with God knows what diseases, men and women with all sorts of ailments. He had watched numerous emergency cases file in before him. So there he waited. Playing with the medallion that hung around his neck.  
  
"Mr. Lyle. Is there a Mr. Lyle out here?" The nurse screamed over the banter that had filled the waiting room.  
  
"Here." Lyle yelled as he stepped over the legs of a drunken man that had fallen asleep next to him. He made his way to the nurse.   
  
"The doctor has the results of your films Sir. Please come this way." The nurse sat Lyle in a room off the main ER room with all its curtained stall. "He'll be right with you." She left the room and shut the door.  
  
Lyle looked around the small clinical room and a shiver ran up his spine. He hated confined spaces and he especially hated medical facilities. They always reminded him of...his mind flashed. He was back there again.  
  
Raines had shot him with something. His body relaxed and the guard picked him up and placed him on the gurney. A man in a white jacket was pushing the gurney. He could see through the haze that he was being pushed through a set of doors. He was taken into a room that had allot of bright overhead lights and curtained areas. He could see other gurneys with children on them. He knew something bad was going to happen. A nurse started shaving a section of hair behind his ear. She had turned his head and then he saw his friend being wheeled in. "Lily. No." Tears ran down his cheeks. "They promised."  
  
The door opened to the room and Lyle was snapped out of the vision.  
  
"Mr. Lyle. I'm afraid I have some disturbing news. I know that you came in complaining of headaches. We have found a very peculiar item behind your left ear. I'm not sure how this type of device could have been implanted without your knowledge." He placed several x-rays up onto the screen. "It's positioned right here." The doctor circled the spot that Lyle now had gotten up to look at.  
  
And the Boogeyman ate into your brain.  
  
"I want to call a neurologist in. We may have to go in and remove the device in order to stop the headaches. I'm not sure I can get someone in at this late hour, but I don't want you to leave until I can have someone looks at these."  
  
Lyle traced his finger around the spot on the x-ray. Then he grabbed his coat and started getting dressed. "That won't be necessary Doctor." Lyle turned and grabbed the x-rays off the screen. He headed for the door.  
  
The doctor stood in front of Lyle and tried to block his path. "Sir. I can't allow you to leave this hospital. You may be seriously ill. If you're experiencing headaches, you may be leaving with a possible hemorrhage. I advise you to..."  
  
Lyle pushed the man out of his way. "These are all I need doctor. Thank you." Lyle slipped out the door and headed out of the hospital. He knew that the hospital guards would soon be after him, so he stepped up his pace to his car. He got in and spun out of the parking lot, leaving the guards in his dust. As he drove down the rode he flipped open his cell phone. He punched the button and connected with the Centre. "Get the jet ready. I'm heading for Los Angeles."   
*************************  
  
The Twister board has been set.  
  
The Players are in position.  
  
Poised for that first color to be called.  
  
What will happen when two meet face to face on the same color?  
  
Will they fight for control or work in cooperation?   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. I also do not own any music by Journey including Mother, Father. 


	30. Hearts Of Fancy

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. The Twister board has been set. The Players are in position. Poised for that first color to be called. What will happen when two meet face to face on the same color? Will they fight for control or work in cooperation? ************************* Lyle pushed the man out of his way. "These are all I need doctor. Thank you." Lyle slipped out the door and headed out of the hospital. He knew that the hospital guards would soon be after him, so he stepped up his pace to his car. He got in and spun out of the parking lot, leaving the guards in his dust. As he drove down the rode he flipped open his cell phone. He punched the button and connected with the Centre. "Get the jet ready. I'm heading for Los Angeles." The voice on the other end of the phone gibbered something quickly, but Lyle impatiently cut him off. "I don't care if Raines has downed all the planes. You are going to get me that jet or they will find parts of you scattered across the four winds. Am I understood! Good!" Lyle flipped his phone closed and threw it next to him on the passenger seat. He wanted answers and there was only one person who he thought was going to give him the less tainted truth. And in two days she was going to be in Los Angeles. Lyle picked up his phone again. The other end clicked its reception. "Hello." Came the cheery voice of Debbie. "Miss Broots, is your father at home?" Lyle questioned the young teen. "Yes. Please hold one moment." Lyle could hear Debbie call Dad away from the phone. "Who may I say is calling?" "Tell your father that Mr. Lyle is on the phone." Lyle smiled as he thought about what the computer geek's face would look like. "Dad. He says he's Mr. Lyle." Debbie yelled to her father. Lyle could hear Broots knocking over various items in his home in his attempt to get to the phone. He then heard Broots take the phone. "Thank you Debbie. Why don't you go do some studying?" Broots urged his daughter so that she would exit the room. After a few moments, he came onto the phone. "Hello. I mean, yes Mr. Lyle." Lyle continued to smile. "Don't you ever give that beautiful young lady a night off Broots?" A shiver ran up Broots spine as he heard Lyle refer to his daughter as beautiful. "Uh. It's very important th..th.. that children her age have discipline and structure." There was a moment of silence. "Mr. Lyle. If you don't mind me asking, why did you call me at home? I mean you can call me anytime I guess, but you have never called me at home..." Lyle shook his head. "Broots! Get it together man. I need you to do me a favor." Broots looked shocked at the phone. "You want a favor? From me?" "Yes Broots. I need you to locate a place for me. It would be based in Los Angeles. I believe it would be called in some form 'Theatre of Truth'. When you find it call me on my cell phone. Under no circumstances do you tell anyone at the Centre that you researched this or where it is. Miss Parker's life may count on it. Am I understood?" 'Yes. Completely Mr. Lyle. Tell only you. Right." Broots started writing the information on a pad next to his phone. "Broots." Lyle spoke into the phone. "Yes Sir." Broots answered taking his mind off the pad he had been writing on. "Hang up the phone and get going." Lyle hung up his phone and drove off into the night. ************************* The couple went hand in hand back to the table. Their food sat there cold and their glasses warm. "I'm starving. I wonder if any of this is salvageable." Jarod gave Parker's hand a kiss, let it go, and went to his place setting. He picked up his fork and twirled the pasta. He took the heaping forkful and carefully guided it into his mouth. "Umm, still good." "Only you could get such enjoyment out of cold pasta." Parker retorted as she poured herself another glass of wine. "But right now I'll try anything." Parker also took a forkful of the delicious dish. "I guess it is no different than eating cold pizza like when I was in college." "Cold pizza sounds good too. It's especially good with vanilla ice cream." Something struck Jarod and he turned to a covered bucket that was next to the wine bucket. He lifted the lid and in the bucket surrounded by ice was a giant container of vanilla ice cream. "My sister must have my excellent tastes." Jarod thought for a moment and then smiled. He took his finger, stuck it in the ice cream, and placed a dab on Parker's nose. "Hey." Parker said as she realized what Jarod had done. Jarod leaned over the table and kissed the ice cream off her nose. "Hmmm sweet." Parker just shook her head. As she turned her head to the right, a flash of red caught her eye. "What is that?" Parker got up from the table and went over one of the boulders that were caddy corner to the table. Half hidden behind the rock was a giant red heart and a card. "Jarod. How many days have we been here?" Jarod thought for a moment and answered. "Eleven days." "It seems that your sister has been keeping track of the time better than we have." Parker had picked up the large heart full of chocolates and the card. Jarod saw the heart in Parkers arms and calculated the date in his head. He looked up as he realized the date. "It's Valentine's Day." "You sister set us up on a date for Valentine's Day. She has a wicked sense of humor." Parker had come to stand next to Jarod. She handed him the card. "I think she is the real genius in the family." Jarod gave Parker a long passionate kiss. "Maybe she is." Parker placed the heart on the table, put her arms around Jarod's neck, and pulled him back into another kiss. "I think she could see through the barriers I've had up for years." "I think she hoped that I would be able to bring those barriers down. I told her when she first woke up after the operation that I loved you." "You just blurted out to her that you loved me?" Parker asked intrigued. "No. She asked me point blank and I answered her truthfully. Though she said that she could tell already." Jarod moved enough so that he could open the card. It had a picture of the horizon, hills, a lake, all encompassed in a heart. Jarod opened the card and read what was enclosed. If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If not, it was never meant to be. There was handwriting under the wording. Now that the two of you have come back to each other, I hope that you realize that you are meant to be. Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Lily and Becky. "Maybe Becky had a vision and they knew this would happen? I can't believe that I am that see through. I'm the Ice Queen you know." Parker said matter of factly. "No. You're not an Ice Queen." Jarod tried to counter. "Please Jarod. You don't think I hear everyone talking. Whispering behind my back. I not only condoned it, I perpetuated it. I needed those under me to be afraid. I needed them to see the Ice Queen." "But you never allowed yourself to be just you. You lost yourself in that facade. But that's gone now. "Now." Jarod dropped the card on the table and took Parker's face in his hands. "You're the Queen of my Heart." Parker went to say that was corniest thing she had ever heard, but Jarod bent down and started placing small kisses on her lips. Ending in a very passionate kiss. Parker forgot what she was going to say. ************************* Lily made her way back to her room thinking about the stranger she had just met. She opened her door and said good night to the good-natured guard and his relief guard Mel. "You guys have a good night." "You too Miss Lily. Sweet dreams." Replied Larry. Lily walked into her room ready to just drop onto her bed, clothes and all, and go to sleep. A gasp escaped her lips. Her entire bed was covered in red and yellow rose petals, her favorite flower. A large heart shaped box of candy was sitting up against a four-foot high panda bear. A note was attached to the bear's paw. Lily walked over and grabbed the note. She opened it with her back to the camera. A tear rolled down her cheek as she read it. My dearest Lily, How many times can I say how much of an ass I am? I know that you are going through so much and all I have done is laid more on you. Just know that I do what I do because I love you with my whole heart. So I am going to give you the space you want and the freedom to make your own decisions. Know that I will always be covering your back. All my love, Mark Lily brought the note to her chest and brought her head down to it. She brought it up to her lips and kissed it. She laid on her bed and cuddled herself into the giant bear. Confusion bantered around in her head. She fell asleep wondering if she knew herself what she was doing. ************************* Ethan looked at the medical chart of the woman in the bed. He walked over and pulled the chair behind him as he went. He sat and took her hand. "I'm going to have to leave tomorrow. The war will be starting soon and I have to get the rest here before it begins. You're safe here. My mother says so. So sleep and heal. Let those nightmares go. Nothing is your fault." He could see her moaning in her sleep again. "Sssh, ssssh. Everything is going to be all right. Lily may not realize it, but her determination is the key to the Centre locks." Just then a nurse came into the room. "Good evening Nathan. How is Mary doing this evening?" The nurse began taking the woman's vitals. "She is doing better. I think she will be awake soon." Ethan said as he listened to the voices he constantly heard. "I hope so. She's a very lucky woman to have someone care about her as much as she does." The nurse finished her routine and was writing her notes onto the chart. "Would it be possible to see Dr. Stedman tomorrow morning?" Ethan asked just looking ahead. "I will put your request in to her in the morning. You should get some rest. You have been up late every night since you arrived here." The nurse suggested seeing the circles under the young man's eyes. "I will. I promise. Thank you for your concern." "Goodnight." The nurse left the room. Ethan made his way over to the door that connected their two rooms. The nurse was correct. He was exhausted. He would rest tonight, for tomorrow would begin another search. ************************* Lyle pulled into the parking garage of the Centre. He wasn't even going to stop and get his suitcase. He just wanted on that plane to California. He opened his phone on the way to the landing strip. The connection opened on the other side. "Hello." "Broots. What do you have for me?" Lyle abruptly asked Broots. "Mr. Lyle. Well I've been running the standard search for anything called the Theatre of Truth, but I haven't gotten a complete hit. I did however find some sub hits that consisted of forms of the words." "Broots. Bottom line. What did you find?" Lyle asked exasperated at the ramblings of the computer geek. "I found a nightclub called 'The Theatre'. I'm not sure if that's what you were looking for, but it is located in Los Angeles. I can run a comparative search..." Lyle clicked his phone shut. The Theatre, a nightclub. Music. That had to be it. Reaching the runway, Lyle went to board the plane. "You're not going without me." Sydney said in a stern voice. ************************* "So Mr. Klos. Have you gotten me my answer?" Raines wheezed as he sat across from the man in his limo. "I believe from all the data that I retrieved from the Sweepers in New Orleans and your estimations that your problem is this little lady." Klos handed Raines a folder. Raines opened it. "Are you sure?" "Positive. Taking into consideration her stay at the Centre, psychologically it has to be her." "Damn. Another ghost." Raines slammed the folder on his seat. "What do you suggest as the next course of action?" Raines wheezed through his frustration. "We go do a little ghost busting." Klos said with a large devilish smile. The limo drove off into the night. ************************* The Players circle the room. Trying to decide what would be the next Game played. So many choices that need to flow to the same conclusion. They now get ready for Masquerade. 


	31. Entanglments And Betayals

Chapter 31: Entanglements and Betrayals   
  
The Players circle the room.  
  
Trying to decide what would be the next Game played.  
  
So many choices that need to flow to the same conclusion.  
  
They now get ready for Masquerade.  
  
*************************  
  
"So Mr. Klos. Have you gotten me my answer?" Raines wheezed as he sat across from the man in his limo.  
  
"I believe from all the data that I retrieved from the Sweepers in New Orleans and your estimations that your problem is this little lady." Klos handed Raines a folder.   
  
Raines opened it. "Are you sure? I saw her die."  
  
"Positive. Taking into consideration her stay at the Centre, psychologically it has to be her."  
  
"Damn. Another ghost." Raines slammed the folder on his seat. "What do you suggest as the next course of action?" Raines wheezed through his frustration.  
  
"We go do a little ghost busting." Klos said with a large devilish smile.  
  
The limo drove off into the night.  
  
*************************  
  
After what seemed an eternity, the couple pulled apart from each other. "Happy Valentine's Day." Jarod whispered in Parker's ear.   
  
"Happy Valentine's Day." She purred back. "I never thought anyone could top Mr. Wiggles."  
  
Jarod looked at her confused. "Mr. Wiggles? Who is Mr. Wiggles?"  
  
"Remember my Christmas present. That cute little bunny. Whenever I was having a bad day, I would just go out and pick him up. He's so soft and cuddly. You should have seen Broots face when I introduced him to Mr. Wiggles. You would have thought he saw a ghost or something. Must have a fear of rabbits."  
  
Jarod smiled as he saw the joy permeated off of Parker. He knew that she would love the rabbit, but not until this moment did he realize how much his gift had meant to her. "I'm glad you liked him. You needed a source of love in your life. Someone to take care of." Jarod wrinkled his face. "I hope that someone is taking care of him." Jarod said as the concern filled his voice.  
  
"No problem. His caretaker comes by the house twice a day. When I'm away she takes care of him. She's use to me taking off on the spur of the moment and she takes good care of him."   
  
"You have a babysitter for the rabbit?" Jarod couldn't help but chuckle.  
  
"Well I'm gone a lot and I wanted to make sure he was taken care of." Jarod kept snickering. Parker hit him in the chest. "Stop that." Jarod tried to contain his smirks. "It's not like I even described the Taj Mahal of bunny houses that he has."  
  
"I've seen his cage. I didn't know bunnies needed penthouses."  
  
Parker had grown quiet and was looking out past Jarod. "What are we going to do now? Its not like we can just go back and play house."  
  
"Do you really want to go back? We could get the rabbit and just stay here. I think he would like the Colorado mountains."  
  
"You figured out we're in Colorado? Of course, you're boy genius." Parker thought for a moment then lifted her head. "When you left on the mission. You calculated our position."  
  
Jarod only smiled. "I can't reveal all my secrets."   
  
"I remember when you first started revealing your inner most secret." Parker said as she walked amongst the trees.   
  
"And when was that?" Jarod asked, his curiosity now peaked.  
  
"On Valentine's Day. Remember. You sent me the book you wrote. The Saddest Little Valentine. And a giant candy heart. It said..."  
  
"Be My Valentine. I remember. Jarod Heart. I really wanted it to read Jarod's Heart." Jarod's tone got a little sullen as he walked around the tree to come to the other side of Parker.  
  
"I remember the sound of your voice as you told me to open the box. So sad. So alone." Parker turned and leaned up against a tree. "I swore that day that I would never care how hurt you sounded. I took that candy heart and I devoured it. Like I devoured everything in my path." Parker put her head down as once again she saw that hurt look on Jarod's face. "But it was a lie."  
  
Jarod had followed Parker. His face lit up a little with a sign of hope. "A lie?"  
  
"What I was really feeling was the same hurt, the same loneliness. I just didn't want to admit it. Not to you. Especially not to me. Remember." Parker tapped the side of Jarod's head. "Ice Princess."   
  
"It hurt. When you didn't respond to me. When you shut me out. I was offering what little part of myself I had found. But you rejected it."  
  
Parker started reciting the book. "She felt consumed by a great void. A dark and silent abyss. As terrifying as the grand palace around her. But somewhere in the chilling blackness she caught a glimpse of a light. She remembered a time. The precocious little girl with a heart full of fire, a soul enflamed by passion, and a smile that could melt winter into spring. But the light was gone. The flame had died. Her past was taken from her by the soldiers of the great palace. She would continue searching, hoping to rekindle the fire. Till then she would always be the saddest little Valentine."  
  
"You memorized it? You told me you skimmed through it." Jarod came and brought her into his arms.  
  
"I must have read it over and over again a thousand times. Every time I felt alone." Parker let out a little laugh. "I never did return it to the evidence vault at the Centre. I'm sure that Syd would have loved to have analyzed it."  
  
"He already knew what it was about. I called him asking him about why people go through falling in love. And he asked me if that was what the novel was about."  
  
"And?" Parker looked at Jarod with hope in her eyes.  
  
"And I told him yes. I have always known that there was a connection between us. No matter how hard I tried to run away from it, to let you go."  
  
"Do you feel that way now Jarod?" Parker asked feeling the old walls coming up.  
  
"No. No more running for either of us. No more pain or loneliness. It ended here, tonight." Jarod leaned over and kissed Parker gently on the lips.  
  
"You're the first person who has been a part of my past who has accepted me for who I am. We're going to have a lot of things to work through. I want to work through them." She moved up on her toes and kissed him back.  
  
"Me too. We are going to get through this. I'm not sure how right now. I have to find out fully what Lily has planned."  
  
"It doesn't matter. Because tonight. I am no longer the Saddest Little Valentine."  
  
"Better to love and lost. Than never to have loved at all."  
  
"I don't plan on losing you Jarod now that I have you. So whatever Lily does, it better not include me losing you." Parker leaned back up and kissed Jarod passionately.  
  
"Together forever." Jarod felt a yawn coming on.   
  
"Am I boring you?" Parker quipped.   
  
Jarod looked down at his watch and realized what time it was. "Do you realize that it is almost 1:00 a.m. in the morning?"  
  
Parker purred again in his ear. "Time flies when you're having fun."  
  
"I think we better get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day."  
  
"I think today was a bigger day. The joining of the Ice Princess and the Boy Genius. Raines is going to have a coronary."  
  
"An alliance to defeat all Centre alliances."  
  
"Except for Broots and Sydney. All this is wonderful, but we have to get to the Centre so that Debbie can be safe."   
  
"I know. After tomorrow I think we will be able to safely retrieve her. Lily will figure out Lyle's alliance and then we'll be able to proceed. I promise. I won't let anyone hurt Debbie."  
  
"You better not Boy Genius." Parker smiled as Jarod realized she was joking. "Because if someone does, I'm coming after you and Sister Genius with my 9mm."   
  
Jarod got down on one knee. "On my honor."  
  
Parker walked past him. "Come on. The Ice Queen needs her sleep." Parker turned and extended her hand out to lift Jarod up.   
  
"Your wish is my command." Jarod followed Parker to the door.  
  
"What have I gotten myself into?" Parker asked as she pushed the arboretum doors open.  
*************************  
  
The monitors showed Lily tossing and turning in the arms of the panda bear. The technician battled whether he should notify Dr. Mark, but decided to evaluate the situation further.  
  
Lily could see herself standing at the end of a dark gray room. The fluorescent lights gave the room a dim glow. Lily could see the board with the dark man shape on it. She had seen it before. When Raines had brought her there for target practice. She had been firing a weapon since she was four years old. The first time the gun had been put in her hands she had dropped it. The gun had fired and Sweepers had run in every different direction. Raines had ducked under a table. And alone there she stood. Not knowing anything better. That the toy she held in her hand was a gun. It was the one thing that her mother had never let her know about. Weapons.  
  
So again she found herself standing in that room. Not afraid any longer to handle the gun, but also not wanting to fire it any longer. Raines had been running simulations with her that involved the firearms. He had been screaming at her.  
  
"You decide who lives or dies!" Raines would yell at her.  
  
Lily looked to her left and saw Raines and the Sweepers standing there. Waiting for her to fire.  
  
"Just imagine the board being a man. A bad man that has killed many people. Some of them children. You would be doing society a favor." Raines encouraged her.  
  
"I don't want to fire the gun. I don't want to kill anyone!" Lily yelled back at him.  
  
Raines came over and slapped the child hard in the face. "You will do as I say."  
  
"I thought I decided who lives or dies?" Lily yelled as she clung to her cheek with the hand that wasn't holding the gun.  
  
Raines slapped her again. Lily's head swung sideways with the force of the blow. She quickly snapped her head back. There was hatred in her eyes. And fire. "Good. Feel that hatred. Feed on that hatred. Rage is your companion. Now fire!"  
  
Lily pointed the gun at Raines, who stood his ground. The Sweepers went frantic, but Raines raised his hand in a gesture to stop. The gun trembled in her hands. "I can't......" Lily turned and fired at the standing board. She hit the mark right at the heart level.  
  
Raines took the gun out of Lily's hands. "Good Lily. Now you know what it feels like to kill a man." Raines hit a red button on top of a box at the table. The board swung around and fastened by cuffs to the back was a man who was drenched in blood.  
  
"Nooooo!!" Lily screamed as she dropped to her knees.   
  
Lily sat up in bed with a gasp. She felt as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. She scrambled off the bed and went to the door of her room. The night guard was on duty. "Max. I need to go to the Equipment Storage Room."  
  
"Lily. You know that you are not allowed to take anything out of there. Dr. Stedman's orders." Max stated as he stood his ground.  
  
"Fine. Then I won't take anything out. Come on." Lily grabbed Max's hand and pulled him to the elevator. A few minutes later they approached the room, which had a guard stationed at it. "Please open the door."  
  
The guard on duty looked at Lily. "I have strict orders that only authorized personnel can enter the room." The guard saw the look that Lily gave him as she folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not suppose to let anyone in there Miss Lily."  
  
Lily tapped the man on his chest. "I don't want to take anything out. I'm not going to make a prison break. I just need to look at something in there. One of you can even stay with me if you'd like. OK?"   
  
The two guards looked at each other. "Well. I guess that would be all right." The nervous man unlocked the door and Lily pushed past him.   
  
Max looked at the frightened guard. "I'll keep an eye on her." The other guard nodded in agreement. As Max entered the room, Lily had already started frantically searching the shelves.   
  
After a few minutes she found what she was looking for. She pulled out Jarod's case, placed it on the floor, and opened it. "Here we go." Lily turned on the machine, took out one of the DSA's, and placed it in the hole. "Now I learn about the Centre."  
  
*************************  
  
The Players are trying on their costumes for the Masquerade.  
  
The dance will bring them to the ballroom.  
  
To settle the past.  
  
And save the future.  
  
The Game moves forward.  
  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. 


	32. Paths To Take

Chapter 32: Paths to Take   
  
The Players are trying on their costumes for the Masquerade.  
  
The dance will bring them to the ballroom.  
  
To settle the past.  
  
And save the future.  
  
The Game moves forward.  
  
*************************  
  
Max looked at the frightened guard. "I'll keep an eye on her." The other guard nodded in agreement. As Max entered the room, Lily had already started frantically searching the shelves.   
  
After a few minutes she found what she was looking for. She pulled out Jarod's case, placed it on the floor, and opened it. "Here we go." Lily turned on the machine, took out one of the DSA's, and placed it in the hole. "Now I learn about the Centre."  
  
Lily watched disc after disc. Absorbing everything she was seeing on the screen. She watched Jarod's life unfold in front of her. Jarod's life and the Centre's existence. She realized for as many simulations that the Centre had Jarod run, she had run their counter simulation. Jarod's Ying to Lily's Yang. Cleaning up after the Centre's messes and realizing how many messes she had never had the chance to clean up. Her heart cried out for justice, but her mind knew she had to concentrate. She only had so many hours to absorb a man's lifetime.   
  
In the wee hours of the early morning her eyes drew weary. She had placed a DSA into the holder and pushed the play button. She curled up on her side, watching the screen as images of Jarod being hosed down in some form of cell played. Trapped in a wire fence and Jarod showing rage at his confinement. Being shocked with electric battery cables. Then someone was talking to Jarod, someone she recognized came into view - Lyle.   
  
As her eyes closed, Max saw a single tear run down her cheek.  
  
*************************  
  
"Sydney. How good to see you." Lyle said as he put on his best poker face.  
  
"I know you have been in contact with Broots and are heading for California. Do you have a lead on Jarod's whereabouts?" Sydney asked coming out of the shadows he had been standing in.  
  
"Is there nothing sacred at the Centre anymore? How in the hell did you know that I was talking to Broots?" Lyle advanced toward Sydney, who stood his ground. Lyle went into Sydney's face. "Does Raines know what you know?"  
  
Sydney analyzed Lyle. "Do I detect fear?"   
  
Lyle pushed off the psychiatrist's chest. "Don't confuse fear with caution."  
  
"Don't confuse caution with fear. It may keep you alive." Sydney retorted. "No. I have a tap on Broot's phone."  
  
"Since when do you tap one of your own trio Sydney? Getting nervous about your future?" Lyle was trying to unnerve Sydney unsuccessfully.  
  
Sydney coined the phrase he had heard so many times at the Centre. "I am exploring all leads in the pursuit of Jarod."   
  
"Cute Sydney. But I make this trip alone. I'm meeting someone." Lyle started up the plane steps.  
  
Sydney grabbed Lyle's arm and spun him. "You are not going to California without me. If you try, I will call Raines and tell him where you are heading."  
  
The fire burned in Lyle's eyes. "You wouldn't." Lyle looked into Sydney's eyes. Shaking his head he spun and started back up the steps. "Fine. Get on board so I can get the hell out of here."  
  
Sydney climbed the steps with a smile on his face.  
  
*************************  
  
Jarod awoke from his restful slumber. He kept his eyes closed playing the events of the night before in his head. How beautiful Parker had looked in the twinkling lights. He could still smell the aroma of the perfume she had insisted that the staff of Angel's Hope get her.   
  
He had realized long ago that she had that kind of power demanded that power. To manipulate any situation to her advantage, whether she was in original control or not. Except for his scenarios. He had almost always kept one step in front of her. He had frustrated her, infuriated her, and enlightened her. He had made it look easy, but it wasn't. So many times he had to put himself into her head. And it hadn't been easy.   
  
Now they were in new territory and this wasn't a scenario. Jarod opened his eyes to see a darkened room. There was some soft lighting around the ceiling. For a moment his heart skipped a beat, but then he remembered where he was. He had not quite gotten use to underground living again yet. And waking up here always reminded him of being at the Centre. No windows, locked doors, and cameras.   
  
Jarod sat up and rolled to the edge of the bed. He ran his hand across his chin and through his hair. He needed a shave. He stood up and went to the mirror. In the reflection he could see the bed. How he wished Parker could have been there. But both of them knew that certain things needed to be kept private right now. And staying in one or the other's room would have given up that secret. Jarod turned from the dresser and headed for the shower.  
  
*************************  
  
Parker rolled over in bed. She stretched out her arms and legs. She lifted her head off the pillow and rested it on her palm. A smile came across her face. She had been naughty. Broken all the rules - for the Centre and she assumed Angel's Hope. If only she had been able to convince Jarod to come back to her bed. The guards would have gone crazy. Dr. Stedman would have had to get out of bed. Turmoil. She would have liked it.   
  
But Jarod had convinced her that everyone didn't need to know what had happened last night. That it had been something special between the two of them. There was allot going on without adding their copulation to the mix. In the end, she had agreed. Though somewhere inside there was this little voice that wanted to call Lyle. Inform her brother that she had screwed the one man he despised more than anyone else in the world.  
  
Parker went to the closet and pulled out her black reconnaissance outfit. Looking at the tight fitting apparel she imagined what Jarod would think of her in it. Parker shook her head. What was she some lovelorn schoolgirl? There was a mission today. Her head needed to be focused. She grabbed the rest of her underclothes and proceeded to take a shower.  
  
*************************  
  
"What do you mean she isn't in her room? Where did she go?" Dr. Stedman was yelling as she walked down the hall toward Lily's room. "Where the hell is her guard?"  
  
The security personnel accompanying Stedman nervously spoke. "We're unsure ma'am. She is unaccounted for at this time."  
  
"Great. Am I going to have to start putting lojacks on these people? Do we have confirmation on Jarod and Parker?" Stedman asked as she entered and walked around Lily's room.  
  
"I'm right here." Jarod replied from behind her.   
  
Joan spun around. "Do you know where your sister is? Because if you do, you had better tell me. I can't afford for her to be going off half cocked."   
  
"I haven't heard from her since last night when she locked us in the arboretum. She's missing?" Jarod started looking around the room. He focused on the bed. There was a giant panda bear and rose petals all over the bed. Jarod looked at the arrangement of the petals. "It looks like from the positioning of the petals that she slept on the panda and then did quite a bit of movement." Jarod didn't need to run a simulation to solve this. "Another nightmare. A good one."  
  
The security guard that had entered with Stedman received a phone call. The room turned to see if he was going to have any information. He closed the phone. "She has been located Dr. Stedman."  
  
"Where is she?" The doctor asked frustrated.  
  
"In the Equipment Storage Room. Asleep." The man stated in a confused voice.  
  
The group all turned and headed for the door. Parker was just approaching the room as everyone descended upon her. "Where is everyone going?" Parker asked confused at the mass exodus.  
  
Jarod grabbed Parker's arm and pulled her with the group. He made his way to the head of the group. "Lily was missing. They just found her in the Equipment Storage Room."  
  
"What the hell would she want in there?" Parker asked as she pulled her arm from Jarod and started her own quick pace.  
  
"Jarod's DSA's." Is all Stedman said as she entered the elevator.  
  
Jarod had formulated that idea the moment they had said where Lily was, but he didn't want to say anything. If he were right, Stedman would be furious. And she was.   
  
*************************  
  
The plane ride to California had been uneventful. Lyle had sat with his laptop making it look like he was working on Centre business as usual. Sydney sat across from him doing the same. It was like a well-manipulated game of chess. Knight and Bishop in standoff. Both men would pleasantly smile at one another each trying to figure out what the other one was thinking. Lyle was trying to calculate how to ditch the doc and Sydney was trying to figure out a way to keep Lyle from Jarod.   
  
The plane landed in California and the men got into the company car that was waiting for their arrival. Sydney sat looking at Lyle who was looking out the window. "So where do your leads say Jarod is?"  
  
Lyle, interrupted from his thought, turned to Sydney with a puzzled look. "Jarod?" Then fully realizing what he had said, he covered. "Jarod. Yes. He was spotted at one of the movie studios. I think we will go there later this morning." The car arrived and the two men checked into their hotel. "Meet me in an hour in the lobby." Lyle strutted off leaving Sydney standing alone.  
  
An hour later Sydney was waiting for Lyle in the lobby. Sydney was looking at his watch, trying to figure out why a man who was consistently on time was late, when Lyle walked up behind him.   
  
"Let's get going." Lyle said as he patted Sydney on the shoulder. He was smiling that false smile that Sydney had come to realize meant Lyle was up to something.   
  
They spent the day rambling around the studio lot and sound stages. Late in the afternoon, Sydney was frustrated. "Lyle. This is pointless. There is no indication that Jarod was ever here."  
  
"Fine Sydney. The lead must have been wrong. We'll head back to the hotel for the night and leave for the Centre in the morning." The two men went back to the hotel. Lyle and Sydney went to their rooms. A man watched them from the corner of the lobby.  
  
*************************  
  
Max saw the crowd marching down the hallway from where he stood in the doorway. Dr. Stedman was heading the group followed by Jarod and Parker. "What is she doing?" Stedman said as she approached the man. "And why didn't you report in?"  
  
"Shssh." The guard said as Dr. Stedman reached the doorway. He pointed to the sleeping figure of Lily on the floor. Dr. Stedman pulled the man into the hallway as Jarod passed him to go into the room. Parker stayed at the doorway. "She's been up all night watching those discs Dr. Stedman. I didn't see any harm in it and the room monitor saw us leave. When the door guard informed me that you were looking for Lily, I looked at my phone and realized the battery had malfunctioned. I would have reported her whereabouts immediately if I knew that there was a problem."  
  
Stedman took a breath and exhaled heavily. "All right. I'm a little on edge right now. Please make sure that you get a freshly charged battery every shift Max. Please confer with me whenever she requests something out of the norm. Now I will have to do damage control."  
  
Jarod had come up behind Lily and knelt down beside her. He reached over her side and pushed the play button. The scenes of the disc started playing and Jarod closed his eyes.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me what Lyle had done to you?" Lily said as she opened her eyes. She just kept facing forward looking at the screen.  
  
"I didn't want anyone to see that disc. It is personal." Jarod replied also facing forward.  
  
Lily rolled over to look at her brother. "I know I said it before - I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I came here and you got left there. I'm sorry that Catherine Parker couldn't get you, Kyle, and Angelo out of there." Lily sat up and put her arms around her brother's neck. He tried to keep his balance on his heels. She whispered in his ear. "I'm sorry we didn't get to be a family."   
  
"You have nothing to be sorry about. You had no choice on who went and who stayed. Catherine Parker knew that with Raines your life was in danger. You had to go. And we'll be a family soon enough. We'll get in contact with Dad and Emily. We'll find Mom. We'll be a family. And maybe we'll add one more." Jarod made a sideway glance to Parker.  
  
Lily got up to her feet and Jarod followed grabbing his sister's hands. "So I take it things went well last night?"   
  
"Yes. Thank you." Jarod said as a slight blush came to his cheeks.  
  
Lily caught her brother's reaction. "Understood." Lily grasped Jarod's hand and intertwined her fingers in his. She could see Joan outside the door giving Max grief. She nodded her head toward Joan. "Upset?"  
  
"Definitely. You were MIA." Jarod tried to explain.  
  
Joan headed for the room as Lily was leaving the room. "Didn't I tell you and Becky that this room was off limits?"   
  
"Technically you told us removing things from the room was off limits. You didn't say that I couldn't go in the room." Lily put on her best smile.  
  
"Don't play semantics with me young lady. There are reasons that I didn't want you in this room." Joan confronted Lily.  
  
"And now the reason is gone. I know what I needed to know. What you should have told me." Lily pushed pass Joan. "I am confronting these people and you are handicapping me." Joan came up behind Lily, grabbed her arm and spun her around. Before she could say anything, Lily cut her off. "I am not a baby. I have a mission. A mission you started me on and now for whatever reason want me to stop." Jarod came up quickly behind Dr. Stedman to quiet Lily. "No - stop Jarod. I need to know. Why? That's all I want to know. Why Joan?"  
  
"Because if you confront Raines you are going to lose. You think those discs tell you what the Centre is like. Bullshit! Jarod was raised by Sydney. Sydney protected him. There is a whole other side of the Centre that you don't have a clue. Not even with the knowledge of the years you spent there would you even be scratching the surface. And if Raines still has the technology active, you have that damn chip in your head. He could turn you on in a minute and maybe you would cease to exist." Joan started crying. "And I couldn't stand if anything happened..." Joan turned away from Lily and walked toward the wall.  
  
Lily closed her eyes trying to keep herself from crying. "I know you feel like my mother. You think that you are protecting me. But we are all going to be in danger if I don't confront Raines. You said it yourself that Raines will not give up. So I will do my best to stay safe and complete my mission." Lily went over and gently placed her hand on Joan's shoulder. "But there is always a possibility that I may not succeed. In that case, you have Jarod and Miss Parker. They are your next lines of defense."  
  
Joan turned around and faced Lily. "I've always known it, but when the time came I didn't want to let you go. I guess I have no choice, you're going to do this regardless of whether I lock you in chains till you're eighty."  
  
Lily grabbed the woman in a hug. "You have to trust me."  
  
Joan nodded her head in agreement. "I need to speak to you before you leave. Can you come to my office?"  
  
"I'll be there soon. There is a man who came with his injured mother that I promised I would check on before I left today." Lily said as she released the woman from her hold.   
  
"Yes. I met them at arrival. Always the humanitarian." Joan said as she wiped the tears from her face. "I'll see you before you leave."  
  
"Thank you." Lily said as Joan and her escort left the area. "Jarod. Why don't you and Parker go get some breakfast and I'll meet you in a little bit? That's if you haven't had breakfast yet." Lily looked down at her watch.   
  
"No. We haven't had breakfast yet. Can we accompany you with your visit?" Jarod asked always looking to help those who have been injured.  
  
"No Jarod. I'm not sure if they would appreciate others knowing their location. The mother was attacked and the son is being very protective. Too many people may spook him. I'll be all right. Go eat and I'll be along shortly."  
  
Jarod hugged his sister. "Then to breakfast we go. I'm famished anyway. Aren't you Parker?"  
  
Parker, who had taken a backseat during everything, came forward. "I would say that I could use a strong cup of coffee."  
  
"I'll walk you to the dining room and grab a muffin." Lily said as their entourage followed. Once to the room, Lily grabbed her muffin and headed out.  
  
A few minutes later she was walking into the injured woman's room. She looked a little more peaceful and Lily looked at her chart. She had been heavily sedated the night before so that she could get a better rest. Lily went and moved a few strands of the red hair that was stuck in the bandaging. "I'm so sorry you were hurt. There is too much violence in this world."  
  
"But you are going to help stop a portion of it." Came a voice from behind Lily.  
  
"Good morning Ethan. How did you sleep?" Lily asked as she approached the young man.  
  
"I slept a little. There is allot going to happen in the next coming weeks. Sometimes I can't get to sleep trying to figure out what part I am to play in it." Ethan moved toward the doorway he had come in through. "I don't want to disturb her. Can we go into my room?"  
  
Lily followed the young man into his room. He had only the overhead lighting on. "Do you want me to put the lights on?" Lily asked as she moved toward the light switch.  
  
"No. Please. Can we leave it the way it is? The light distracts me from focusing. I have a message for you." He said as he sat in one of the chairs in his room. He motioned for Lily to sit next to him.  
  
"What message?" Lily asked curiously.  
  
"You are going into a game that started long before you were born. There are people who have killed to stay in that game and they use people as pawns. Only by knowing the whole playing field and all the players can you expect to survive." Ethan started.  
  
"Ohh. Very cryptic." Lily tried to lighten the conversation.  
  
"I'm not joking Lily. The message is this - before you can proceed there is one thing you must accomplish. Know thy enemy."  
  
Lily got up and looked down at Ethan. "How do you know what I have to do? How do I know that you are not some Centre spy sent here to distract me?"  
  
Ethan looked as if he were listening to someone. He looked up at Lily. "She says that I should tell you this. It's a phrase that you learned when you were little. Something that she said you were never to forget. That it unlocked the memories and gave you the beginning of all the secrets." Ethan stood up so he was face to face with Lily. "Cree Craw Toads Foot......"  
  
"Geese Walk Barefoot." Lily looked into Ethan's eyes. "Catherine?"  
  
*************************  
  
The unexpected always makes the Game more interesting.  
  
Unexpected allies, unexpected enemies.  
  
When will the two be revealed?  
  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. 


	33. Destiny Arising

Chapter 33: Destiny Arising   
  
The unexpected always makes the Game more interesting.  
  
Unexpected allies, unexpected enemies.  
  
When will the two be revealed?  
  
*************************  
  
Ethan looked as if he were listening to someone. He looked up at Lily. "She says that I should tell you this. It's a phrase that you learned when you were little. Something that she said you were never to forget. That it unlocked the memories and gave you the beginning of all the secrets." Ethan stood up so he was face to face with Lily. "Cree Craw Toads Foot......"  
  
"Geese Walk Barefoot." Lily looked into Ethan's eyes. "Catherine? Can you hear Catherine Parker?"  
  
"I can hear many voices. But that voice is the strongest and I have come to trust it. If it says that you need to know your enemies, then you need to get to know your enemies." Ethan listened once again. "You're heading for danger. You hope to help an old friend."  
  
"Stop that!" Lily said as she moved away from Ethan. "Yes. I leave today on a mission. I need to settle the past with the future."  
  
"I think first you need to reconcile the present. You haven't gotten the information yet that you need to fight the Centre. Dr. Stedman is right. You've only seen a glimpse of the Centre and had a handful of memories. It will not help you."  
  
"Then my destiny is that I will fail." Lily said lowering her head in defeat.  
  
Ethan came up next to Lily and lifted her chin gently with his fingers. "Your destiny is what you make it. You have to find a way to gain the information that you need. Then success will be within your grasp."   
  
"I have to figure out a way to learn about the Centre. I have exhausted every means I could think of to get information about the Centre. I don't have time to break into their main frame and Joan won't let Jarod anywhere near a computer. After all this time.." Lily walked back to the doorway between the rooms and looked at the woman lying in the bed, "she's afraid I will end up like her. She has never had her own child, but she has treated Becky and I like her daughters. She doesn't want to risk losing us."  
  
"But if she doesn't let happen what must happen, she is going to lose you anyway. The door has been opened; it can't be shut now." Ethan said as he joined her. "She is going to lose you to her demons or your own. You need to resolve your past in order to enjoy your future. That's why she brought you here. So you could heal."  
  
"Why are you here?" Lily asked looking straight into Ethan's eyes.   
  
"Because this is where I need to be right now. The voices told me about two little hurt girls that needed to heal. Who were cared about by Catherine Parker so much that she risked her life to protect them. Who needed to hear a message. That is one of my missions. Ethan looked over to the sleeping woman "Bringing her here was another."  
  
Lily looked at the woman again. "She's lucky you were there for her. The Centre doesn't deserve to gain any more lives." She paused for a moment. "Ethan, I have to go."  
  
"I know. Good luck."  
  
"You too. I'm sure your mother will be awake soon. I'll check in with you when I get back." Lily walked through the doorway and headed for the exit door.  
  
"What - no hug?" Ethan said from behind her.  
  
Lily turned, tilted her head, and looked at him. "You want a..." And she didn't know if it was the look on his face, the twinkle in his eye or the fact that he somehow seemed to radiate a warm presence. She walked up to Ethan, gave him a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. "Why does it feel like that somehow we are connected?"  
  
"Maybe because we both care about family." Ethan responded.  
  
"You are an enlightened young man for your age."   
  
"I take after my brother and two sisters." Ethan volleyed back.  
  
"Well then they are very lucky to have you as a brother. Take care." Lily slid out the door. Max took up step behind he. She had to think of some way to get the information on the Centre that she needed. She repeatedly pushed the elevator button when an idea struck her. Lily pulled out her phone and dialed Veronica. "Ronnie, get the team together in Conference 1. I have a change in the plan for Los Angeles."  
  
Veronica responded on the other end. "You got it. Are we going to have fun times again? Should I call Dr. Stedman and Mark?"   
  
Lily got on the elevator and pushed the floor button. "Negative. Just Alpha team. I'm on my way there now." Lily clicked her phone shut.   
  
*************************  
  
Jarod opened the dining room door for Parker. She glided in with her usual Ice Queen strut. The guards followed her and one grabbed the door so that Jarod could continue into the room.  
  
Parker went to pull her chair out when she saw the guards enter. "Will there ever be a period of time when you flying monkeys won't have to escort us like Dorothy with the ruby shoes and Toto?"  
  
"Parker. They are only doing their job and I am not a small canine." Jarod stated confused at Parker's statement.   
  
The two guards looked at each other. Parker's guard, Morris, approached her. "It is our position that your restriction has not been lifted by Dr. Stedman Miss Parker. You may want to try throwing some water on her and then maybe after she melts your restriction would be lifted." Morris went to sit in his seat as Jarod's confusion turned to a smirk.  
  
"Good one Morris. I'm getting to like you." Parker said as she grabbed a croissant.   
  
"Thank you ma'am." The guard started filling his plate with food.  
  
"What was that about Parker?" Jarod asked. "Why are you being so antagonistic?"  
  
"I needed a sense of normalcy and I don't have Broots to pick on. Morris has graciously taken up his spot."  
  
With a mouth full of food Morris replied, "Any time."  
  
"I wonder what Sam would do if he knew that you replaced him with..." Jarod motioned to Morris.  
  
Parker cracked a smile. "What am I going to do with you?"  
  
"Anything you like." Jarod replied in a low tone that Parker could only hear.  
  
The door opened and in walked Becky. She was bouncing with happiness. "Good morning Everyone." She sung.   
  
"Someone is in a Pollyanna mood." Parker stated as she poured herself some juice.  
  
"It is a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and love is..." Becky accidentally hit Jarod's shoulder as she came around him to sit down. Suddenly a flash of Jarod and Parker together flooded her sight and then was gone, "definitely in the air. Had a good night did we?"  
  
Parker's face was a mixture of anger and dismay.  
  
Becky picked up on the mood coming off Parker. "Sorry. Didn't mean to pry. It's just that some people come through like beacons. You two are lighthouses."  
  
"It's all right Becky. We know that you didn't intentionally do anything." Jarod chimed in. "How was your evening?"  
  
"Yes. Any revelations in your life last night?" Parker asked snidely.  
  
"I have revelations every night I'm with my man Miss Parker." Becky put on a big smile.  
  
"Ahh. It's definitely beginning to feel like home." Parker picked up some eggs and took a bite. After chewing she looked at Jarod. "So what is Lily's plan now?"  
  
"We meet and head out to California. She has a team there already getting the building ready so she'll have plenty of escape routes in case she fails with Lyle."  
  
"I'm still not sure about all this." Becky started. "I'm not sure this Lyle is worth contacting. She has this ideal image of him in her mind, but from what you have both said he's dangerous."   
  
"Who's dangerous?" Everyone in the room turned toward the door. Mark entered and closed the door. Becky put her head down and started shoveling the food into her mouth.   
  
"We were just discussing the psychological instability of my sibling. Care to share?" Parker quipped.   
  
"Parker, enough. You're feeling a bit too much like you're home." Jarod got up and walked over to where Parker was sitting. "Can we talk alone for a moment?"  
  
"Sure. Why not." Parker pushed her chair back and slinked to the corner of the room.   
  
Mark sat himself next to Becky to try and give her the third degree.  
  
Jarod came up beside Parker and whispered. "What is going on? Why are you acting like this?"   
  
"Acting like what Jarod? Me? This is who I am. Smart mouthed, ill tempered, ...." Parker tried to explain.  
  
"Warm, loving person. I thought we discussed this. You don't have to be the Ice Queen." Jarod, concerned for Parker, put his arm around her.  
  
"Jarod. With what we are doing today, I need to be the Ice Queen. I can't confront Lyle without it. So please let me have this now. You want me to change overnight; it's not going to happen. When this is all over we can do the counseling thing and I'll become Mary Sunshine. OK?"  
  
"I never asked you to be this Mary Sunshine woman, I just want you to be you." Jarod said as he looked at her with those puppy brown eyes.  
  
"Don't look at me like that. I might have to drag you to a coat closet and ravage you." Parker whispered in his ear.  
  
"Parker. There are no closets in this room, so unfortunately I can't take you up on your offer. But when we are done, maybe we can go back to the arboretum." Jarod gave Parker a huge smile.  
  
A growling sound is all Parker said as she passed Jarod on her way back to the table. She had heard Becky and Mark start to debate over Lyle.   
  
"I'm telling you she has everything under control. She always does Mark." Becky was sipping her coffee as she tried to convince the man she was correct.  
  
Mark argued. "I just don't think she is making the most rational decisions right now. Where is Lily by the way?"  
  
*************************  
  
Lily was sitting at the table as her team assembled. Veronica walked in with Joel. Lily had mapped out her changes and had placed the photocopied papers on the table.  
  
"OK Boss. We're here. What's the change and why the secrecy?" Veronica asked to the point.  
  
"Everyone have a seat." Lily clicked the button on the wall and a screen came down out of the ceiling. The blueprints of a building appeared. "The schematics of the building provided show that there are several exits where the team can escape the building. Ronnie and Joel will exit the rear window on the third floor. There will be a line waiting to be shot that will run from the building to the building caddy corner to the club." The screen changed to show a block of buildings. "I don't want to take the chance that they may have the building next door filled with Sweepers."  
  
"So we are still running under code red?" Asked the team member at the back of the table.  
  
"Yes Stiles. We are under red until I can determine whether Bobby can be trusted or not." Lily turned back to the board.  
  
"I will be positioned here in costume waiting for him to arrive. Kemper, you will be watchdog till the event. If there is any sign that he or his personnel are moving on the building early we abort."  
  
"Yes. Ma'am. Where will I be stationed?" Asked Kemper.  
  
"You will be positioned in this building." Lily pointed to the building that the line would be shot to. "From what I can tell, it has the best view of the club and street. Now here is the change. If Bobby proves to be foe, then I will exit up this stairwell."  
  
"Lily, that leads to the roof." Veronica noted. "How will you get out of the building?"  
  
"I have that covered. My escape route is being set up as we speak. Everyone else, look over your copies and memorize your routes. Keep the schematics close to you. You never know when you may need a backup plan."  
  
The group grumbled the affirmatives. Veronica raised her hand to speak.   
  
"Yes Ronnie." Lily acknowledged her gesture.   
  
"Where will Jarod and the Parker woman be during all this?"   
  
Lily sat down. "They will be positioned with Kemper. If all goes well I will join them and we will all exit the area together."  
  
"You know she's not going to go for it. She'll want to be where the action is." Veronica said with a smile. "She doesn't seem like the sit on the sidelines kind of gal."  
  
"I know. But if Bobby sees her, we're dead in the water. That's why I will tell them that the plan will be going down there. That I am bringing Bobby back to that building."  
  
"You're going to lie to your brother?" Veronica asked.  
  
"Ronnie. If I tell him the truth, then he is going to come charging in like a knight on a white horse. We need warriors, not noblemen. So they both stay in the dark." Everyone nodded in agreement. "OK. Then everyone is dismissed to train Omega Company. I need them up to speed before I leave." Everyone got up and started to leave the room. "Ronnie, can you please wait for a minute?"  
  
Veronica finished her conversation and closed the door after the last person left. "What's up?"  
  
"I need you to do something for me. I want you to take these envelopes and when the mission is over tonight, I need you to distribute them." Lily took the four envelopes and handed them to Veronica.  
  
"Why won't you be able to hand them out? I know you, been your right hand woman from the beginning. I'm going to go straight to Stedman if you don't talk. What's really going on?"  
  
Lily laughed. "You know that you would never go to Joan. But you're right. You have been my confidant and my executioner of plan. You deserve to know the whole thing. Sit down." Lily told Veronica her true plan.  
  
*************************  
  
After breakfast, Jarod coaxed Becky into taking him to Lily. Becky led Jarod and Parker to the observatory for the training area. As the trio entered the room, Becky hit the button that brought up the privacy shield for the windows. Below were rows of men and women, dressed in red workout suits, working on a mass drill. They were broken into groups of twenty led by a person dressed in black.   
  
"What is this?" Jarod asked as he spotted his sister observing the groups. It seemed she was screaming at certain people.  
  
"This is the training room. Where the teams learn martial arts and hold practice exercises." Becky started to explain.  
  
"Where did all the people come from?" Parker asked as she realized that the Angel's Hope team was far more numerous than anything the Centre had.  
  
"We have been recruiting. Slowly. People who were hurt by groups, like the Centre, who wanted to see justice served. Usually if we have helped them and they have no family ties, then they are more than willing to join." Becky explained as she moved closer to the window.  
  
Parker was now intrigued. "How do you determine if they are loyal? I mean the Centre usually holds something on someone. Or hires ruthless people. How do you know that they will keep your secret?"  
  
Becky turned to look at Parker. "That's my job here Miss Parker."  
  
"Sneaky. Using an empath to see if they are loyal. I like it." Parker stared out the window. It looked like Lily was a drill sergeant in the Army.  
  
"Are these people all on Lily's team?" Jarod asked as he again looked at the massive group below him.  
  
"No. They are the Omega team."  
  
Jarod, Parker, and Becky turned to see Mark standing behind them.  
  
"Omega team. What is the Omega team?" Jarod asked.  
  
"They're Parker's team if Lily should fail." Mark put his hand up on the glass as Jarod and Parker stood behind him in shock.  
  
*************************  
  
The unexpected always makes the Game more interesting.  
  
Plans are revealed.  
  
Plans are concealed.  
  
Can the Players handle the pressure?  
  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. 


	34. Destined Journeys

As promised here is the next installment of my Pretender saga! Do you like do you hate? Should I stop torturing you all with the Chapters LOL Please let me know? Now on with the show!  
Chapter 34: Destined Journeys   
  
The unexpected always makes the Game more interesting.  
  
Plans are revealed.  
  
Plans are concealed.  
  
Can the Players handle the pressure?  
  
*************************  
  
"Are these people all on Lily's team?" Jarod asked as he again looked at the massive group below him.  
  
"No. They are the Omega team."  
  
Jarod, Parker, and Becky turned to see Mark standing behind them.  
  
"Omega team. What is the Omega team?" Jarod asked.  
  
"They're Parker's team if Lily should fail." Mark put his hand up on the glass as Jarod and Parker stood behind him in shock.  
  
"My team? Why in the hell would anyone here give me a team? I thought they were afraid that I was still the enemy." Parker questioned as she paced up and down the observation window.  
  
"It was Lily's idea." Parker turned to him once again showing shock. "It seems that not everyone here suspects you of still having loyalties to the Centre. In this organization, Lily is what would be considered a General in the Army. She wanted someone who she felt could command that kind of power and respect in the event something happened to her."  
  
Parker looked at Lily through the window. She saw her putting the recruits through the wringer. She was yelling, pointing, and pushing them to their limits. Parker appreciated that. "I want to change and go down there."  
  
"You want to go...down there?" Becky asked. "With Lily?"  
  
"Definitely. If I am to command the team, then I need to at least meet them. Get a feel for them. Mark, where can I get some workout clothes?" Parker headed for the door.  
  
Mark looked at Jarod who shrugged. "Once she gets something into her head you can forget trying to change her mind. She's like a pit bull." Jarod smiled as Parker leered at him and opened the door.  
  
"Anytime Dr. Mark." Parker motioned for him to go out the door.  
  
"No wonder Lily picked you." Becky passed by Parker with Jarod following her closely. "She's so bossy." Becky quickly added as she went out the door.  
  
Jarod broke a smile. "The woman is definitely an empath. She read you like a book."  
  
Parker pushed Jarod out the door and slapped him in the head. "You could have at least made me a good novel."  
  
Becky showed Parker where she could get the black outfit that Lily was wearing. She then led the group to the door of the training floor. Becky opened the door and motioned for Parker to go ahead. When Jarod went to follow, Becky stopped him. "Lily only allows team personnel in the training room. Parker has to go alone."  
  
Parker walked out onto the floor. She could see the various drill sergeants firing orders at the people. She looked through the people and finally spotted Lily on the other side of the room. Parker thought for a moment and then took on her best Ice Queen strut. She strode around the perimeter of the people checking them out as she went.   
  
Lily spotted Parker coming around the perimeter and started to walk towards her. A microphone hung on her ear and she started speaking. "Listen up!" Everyone in the room came to a stop and put themselves at attention. "We have your Commander on the floor. Her name is Miss Parker. You will show her the same respect that you have shown me. Continue training."  
  
From the observation window Jarod could see Parker join in the group training session. She had chosen one person to perform an attack situation. Parker easily flipped the man onto his back. A smile of triumph came over her face. "This is only the second time since we got here that I have seen her truly happy."  
  
"She has found something that reminds her of the only existence that she has ever known Jarod." Mark started. "But I hope that when push comes to shove that she honors what she has been given here over her alliance to the Centre."  
  
"I think that this is the closest she has ever felt to her mother. She loves her mother and wouldn't want to destroy anything that she had created. Besides the only man she has ever known as her father is dead. She no longer has any ties to the Centre, except for Sydney and Broots. We have to get Lily to finish this game with Lyle so that we can protect Debbie. For all we know, the Centre could have her already."  
  
"Debbie's fine Jarod." Becky added to the conversation.  
  
"How do you know that? I care about that family. I have protected that family and now she is in danger." Jarod countered.  
  
"Because Joan had her operatives at the Centre check on Broots and he is operating as if nothing had changed. And they said that they checked their home and Debbie was there. Whatever the Centre was going to do, they have put it on hold for some reason."  
  
"I can tell you the reason, Lily." Jarod looked out the window at his twin sister.  
  
**************************  
  
Joan was closing her safe when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." She headed for her seat behind her desk.  
  
The door opened and Lily walked through the door. "We're almost ready to take off. You wanted to see me?"  
  
Joan looked into Lily's eyes. "Is everything set for your meeting with Lyle?"  
  
"I just finalized confirmation that the building is set from the team in California. My team is set here. Parker has been introduced to her team. All that's left is for us to board that plane to California."  
  
Joan leaned back in her chair and brought her hands clasped across her stomach. "Why do I have a feeling that you're not telling me the whole truth? What do you have up your sleeve?"  
  
Lily acting shocked. "Whatever could you be talking about? I have been nothing but truthful." Lily batted her eyelashes.  
  
Joan sat up. "Don't give me that young lady. I know you're up to something. You had a meeting with your staff about three hours ago. And I wasn't notified."  
  
Lily flipped her hand. "Just a little impromptu meeting. Just getting some of the bugs out of the plan." Lily's voice got a little lower. "Mundane things. Didn't want to waste your time."  
  
"I know you are planning to do something that you haven't told me. I could cancel the whole thing right now. Confine you to your room."  
  
Lily jumped out of her chair. "You can't do that. Things have been put into motion that can't be stopped now. You just can't do it!"  
  
"Sit down." Lily chocked her head to the side and closed her eyes trying to control the anger. She opened her eyes and plopped herself into the chair. After a few moments Joan smiled. "OK. Now you're ready."  
  
Lily shot a look at Joan. "A test?"  
  
"Yes. I had to make sure you were going to be able to stay cool headed no matter what the situation. What better test than direct confrontation."  
  
"You...." Lily pointed her finger at Joan.  
  
Joan smiled again. "Don't say it. Just say - 'See you later' and get out of here before I change my mind."  
  
Lily got up and headed for the door. She turned around. "See you later. Thank you for trusting my instincts."  
  
Joan came around the desk. "Make sure I don't regret the decision." Lily turned to leave. "Lily." Lily turned around as she entered the hallway. "When this is all done, I have a special assignment for you. I have a package that arrived from Morocco and it needs to be disposed of. Do you understand?"  
  
Lily shook her head in acknowledgement. "Understood. The final nail in the coffin of the Centre." A second later Lily was gone.  
  
Joan went to the picture of Catherine Parker. "Be with her Catherine. She's going to need your protection."   
  
**************************  
  
Lily, Jarod, Parker, Mark, and Lily's team entered the plane. Becky watched from the tarmac. She knew that she was getting feelings from Lily that scared her, but she also knew that she had to trust her sister.  
  
Everyone took their seats and they were in the air within fifteen minutes. Once the pilot had OK'd it, the passengers released their seat belts. Lily had taken a seat away from everyone. Parker and Jarod sat next to each other watching both Mark and Lily. They could see the concern and yearning on Mark's face as he watched Lily.   
  
Parker whispered to Jarod. "I wonder if he will get enough nerve up to approach her? I love to see men squirm. This is just as good as watching Broots and his attempts at lovelorn geek romance."  
  
Jarod frowned. "Parker, stop it. The poor man is obviously in love and in pain. They were supposed to get married. Now his life is turned upside down. And as for Mr. Broots, he can't help but feel the way he feels. His obsession is the most beautiful woman on this planet."   
  
Parker looked sideways at Jarod. "You know that Broots has a crush on..."   
  
Jarod motioned toward Lily and Parker turned her head. Lily had gotten up. Mark straightened up as she approached his seat. He had a smile on his face. She passed him and went to sit across from Jarod and Parker. Mark's face fell and Jarod could see that his whole body sank in his seat. He felt sorry for the man who might, under other circumstances, have become his brother-in-law. Another family member ripped from him by the Centre.  
  
"Jarod." No response. "Jarod? Earth to Jarod." Jarod looked up. "Welcome back. Hope you had a nice trip." Lily half smiled as she wondered what Jarod was thinking. "I need for the two of you to do something for me."  
  
"What can we do for you Lily?" Parker asked intrigued.  
  
"Anything for you." Jarod chimed in.  
  
Lily paused as she tried to formulate her question. "I want you to tell me everything you know about Raines, Lyle, Angelo, Alex, and..... Kyle." Lily saw the pain in Jarod's eyes. "I know that this is tough on you big brother, but I need to know. What Raines did to them. Their mental states. Their MO's. Where they were held. Everything and anything you can think of."  
  
Jarod looked down at the floor. Parker saw Jarod's pain too. "Let's start with Alex. I can give you the information I know. Alex was one of the Pretenders under Raines. At that point he was still Dr. William Raines. Alex was known to the police as The Chameleon."  
  
"Because he could be anyone he wanted to be. Sounds familiar." Lily half smiled.  
  
"Alex started going after people that were connected to him, who had hurt him. He went on a major killing spree."  
  
Jarod added in. "He killed another Pretender named Edward Ballinger. When I escaped, he and Alex were with me. But Alex fell while we were running and..... We left him behind." Jarod turned and looked out the window. Pain was written across his face. "The Centre found him and sent him to Africa. It's where the Triumvirate is based."  
  
"What is the Triumvirate?" Lily asked.  
  
Parker let out a laugh. "They are a group in Africa that believe they control the Centre. But they are idiots. They don't control anything. They're being played by Raines. He's been promising them ultimate power for years by baiting them with these God forsaken scrolls."  
  
"Scrolls that Parker and I found on an island called Carthis, but Mr. Parker took from us. He jumped out of the Centre plane with the scrolls for reasons unknown." Jarod chimed in.  
  
Lily frowned. "Scrolls. And how are these scrolls suppose to give a person power? Do they have some form of scientific theory or weapon of some sort?"  
  
"According to what we found out Lily, it has something to do with us. Catherine Parker and our mother Margaret were trying to find them so they would have the upper hand against the Centre." Jarod could see that Lily' mind was running. "Do you know something about the scrolls Lily?"  
  
Lily shook her head no. "No. Nothing."  
  
Jarod could tell that it wasn't totally the truth. "Could you have heard something about them at Angel's Hope? Maybe..."  
  
Lily touched Jarod's cheek. "Jarod, please. Not now. I need to know about Alex. We can discuss the scrolls later."  
  
"OK. Needless to say that they burned the humanity out of him." Jarod began.  
  
"Not just the Triumvirate. Lyle. He became one of Lyle's projects." Parker now added. "Probably why he became so vicious. Lyle is an expert in torture and information retrieval. But Lyle said that Alex was whacked before he even got him. So Raines probably gave him the same wonderful childhood that you and brother dearest got."  
  
"And I wonder who got Lyle whacked?" Lily's face grew angry. "I'll give you one word. Raines."  
  
"The Centre did send Lyle to Asia, so I guess your answer would be yes." Parker answered Lily. "And the Centre taught Alex that having no soul gave you the ultimate power. And Alex hated Jarod because the Centre thought that Jarod was more important as a Pretender than he was."  
  
"Alex felt that if you had no ties, then you would be free. So he killed his own family so that the Centre would have no hold over him. He thought that it was a weakness that I possessed and why I would never escape from the Centre. He also said that he knew things about me. Things he wouldn't reveal. Like why the Centre wants me back so bad. That it wasn't because I was a Pretender."  
  
"So it goes back to the scrolls and that they say we have a destiny. Alex hated Jarod and I. He tried to blow me up, but Ethan saved me." Parker said as she looked at her mother's ring on her finger. Parker then remembered her mother's notes. "I found notes in my mother's desk that..."   
  
Lily looked up with a start. "Did you say Ethan?"  
  
"Yes. Remember I told you that Raines killed my mother when Ethan was born. He's my brother."  
  
"I forgot with everything that had been going on, that you told me that. That makes him my half brother also. Do you know where he is now?"  
  
Jarod saw something spark in Lily's eyes. "He told me that he needed some space, some time to figure out what was going on in his life. He has the same inner sense that Parker does. He was having trouble controlling it. I let him go. So no, we don't know where he is. I'll introduce you two when we meet up again. He'll get in touch with us when he is ready."  
  
"I think it will be sooner than later." Lily said in a low voice.  
  
"What did you say?" Parker asked seeing Lily's lips move, but not hearing what she said.   
  
"Nothing. Ok. Tell me about Angelo." Lily got herself back on track.  
  
Jarod and Parker spent the rest of the flight telling Lily about the casualties of the Centre.  
  
**************************  
  
The building the group approached was a four-story brown building, weathered and beaten. There were rows of windows from the second floor up in the front and side of the building. The neighborhood looked as if it had seen plenty of action. The surrounding buildings looked as weathered as the one they were standing in front of. People mulled the streets in the pursuit of their everyday lives. By night, it would be full of people looking to be entertained and looking for answers.  
  
Jarod looked up at the building that he would be occupying with Parker. He immediately started analyzing the exit ways and fire escapes. He could see that something had been attached to the roof that occupied the club. A line ran from one building to another. "Lily. What is that line up there? It doesn't look like a power or cable line."  
  
"That, dear brother, is escape route alpha." She smiled as she entered the building.  
  
Jarod and Parker followed Lily into the entrance of the club. Again Jarod went walking around the room examining the layout and formulating the possible outcomes of tonight's encounter. "Lily. I'm not sure that you will have enough cover to be able to exact a safe enough escape."  
  
Parker was looking around the rest of the room. There was a stage at the far end of the room that had a platform that moved forward towards the dance floor. Stairs came down both sides of the front of the stage that ended on small platforms. Those platforms were joined to other smaller platforms with walkways. Each platform had steps down. The dance floor started at the stage and ended at carpeting that held numerous tables. "I have to agree with Boy Genius, there isn't much cover here Lily. Lyle could have Sweepers right out in the open to grab you."  
  
Lily smiled. "That's if the club looked like this when he gets here. When Bobby gets here, the club will be full of people dancing and there will be a stage show going on." Lily brought Jarod and Parker around and pointed up. "There are black lights, blinking multi-colored flashing lights, and my all time favorite - a disco ball."  
  
"Disco ball?" Jarod asked.  
  
"A rotating mirrored ball suspended from the ceiling. When hit with a spot light it casts moving sparkles of light through the room." Parker pointed up to the ceiling where the ball was suspended. "So the atmosphere will be dark and the lighting distracting."  
  
"Yes. Plus the stage show has been designed with allot of techno effects. Becky really outdid herself this time." Lily looked like a child describing her upcoming birthday party. "It will be perfect."  
  
Jarod turned serious. "How will you get out if the meeting doesn't go well? I don't see many exits from this room."  
  
"Everyone in this room will be a member or affiliate of Angel's Hope. We helped the citizens of this area get rid of a drug dealing gang that was terrorizing everyone. I show the sign and I will have all the cover I need. Then I will exit there." Lily pointed to a doorway on the left side of the stage. "Since the entrance is on the opposite side, any Sweeper trying to retrieve me will have to make it through the room first. By then, I will be up the stairs and out of this building."  
  
Jarod shook his head. "I don't know Lily. It still seems very dangerous. It's not too late to still back out. Just go back to Angel's Hope."  
  
"I never back down from a fight Jarod. And there is a young lady who doesn't even know that her future rests in what happens tonight. She's just a name to me, but she's special to you two. I can't allow anything to happen to her. And the only way I can assure that is to go through with tonight. A close friend today said I needed to know my enemy. So that's what I am doing. I'll be fine." Lily smiled that infectious smile that she had.  
  
"All right. But I am going to be keeping both eyes on you." Jarod poked Lily on the nose.  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Lily gave Jarod a hug.  
  
*************************   
  
Ethan looked at the woman lying in the bed. She was stirring a little, again mumbling the name he knew she was saying over and over again. "It's all right Margaret. You're safe and Jarod is safe too. I have to go for a little while. I have to go get everyone else. Something is about to happen. I can hear the voices telling me that I have to get them now. So these nice people will look after you and I will be back as soon as I can."  
  
Ethan picked up his jacket and went out into the hall.   
  
A guard came out of the doorway two doors down. "Can I help you sir?"   
  
Ethan put on his jacket and met the man half way. "Yes. Can you please tell Dr. Stedman that I need to see her? I need to leave the facility now."  
  
*************************  
  
Players are readying for the next segment of the Game.  
  
Some are playing the Game openly.  
  
Another has secrets and agendas.  
  
One must complete his mission before the opposition reigns.  
  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans.   
CHAPTER 35 IS WRITTEN AND ATR THE BETAS. AS SOON AS IT COMES BACK WEBMISTESS MICKEY WILL POST IT. ENJOY! 


	35. Uneasy Times

Chapter 35: Uneasy Times   
  
The unexpected always makes the Game more interesting.  
  
Plans are revealed.  
  
Plans are concealed.  
  
Can the Players handle the pressure?  
  
*************************  
  
Ethan looked at the woman lying in the bed. She was stirring a little, again mumbling the name he knew she was saying over and over. "It's all right Margaret. You're safe and Jarod is safe too. I have to go for a little while. I have to go get everyone else. Something is about to happen. I can hear the voices telling me that I have to get them now. So these nice people will look after you and I will be back as soon as I can."  
  
Ethan picked up his jacket and went out into the hall.   
  
A guard came out of the doorway two doors down. "Can I help you sir?"   
  
Ethan put on his jacket and met the man half way. "Yes. Can you please tell Dr. Stedman that I need to see her? I need to leave the facility now."  
  
"If you will step back into the room, then I will call Dr. Stedman." Ethan went back into Margaret's room. The guard pulled his cell phone open and dialed Stedman's office. After a short conversation, he snapped the phone closed and went to the door. "Dr. Stedman will be down in a few minutes."  
  
Ethan had taken a seat next to Margaret, laying his jacket across his legs. The voices were talking all at once and the trick he had learned to hear his mother's voice was being overridden. He put his head into his hands and tried again to quiet the ones he didn't want to hear. He also had come to know that when there were many voices, it meant that something was about to happen. In his concentration, he didn't hear the footsteps that entered the room.   
  
Dr. Stedman went over to the young man. "Are you in need of medical attention?"  
  
Ethan looked up. "No Dr. Stedman. I'm fine. I need to leave the facility. There are others that are in danger that I would like permission to bring here."  
  
Stedman looked concerned. "How many 'others' are we talking about?"  
  
"Two others. Her family." Ethan said as he looked in Stedman's face for her reaction.  
  
And it was there. Surprise. "You mean your family."  
  
Ethan got up and looked at Margaret. "Yes and no. It's complicated. Her husband, who's my father, and her daughter, my half sister."   
  
"She's not your mother. Then who are you?"  
  
"The son of a close friend who wants you to know that she appreciates everything you have done with Angel's Hope. And protecting her children."  
  
"Catherine? You're Catherine Parker's son. That's impossible. She had no other children prior to her death."  
  
"She trusted Raines and he betrayed her. Miss Parker found out that Catherine was impregnated by Raines. And that child was a product of Catherine and Jarod's father. When I was born, Raines killed her."  
  
"So when you say she appreciates everything that I have done, you can hear her. You have her inner sense?"   
  
"Yes. I can hear voices that I try to filter and hear her. She has been guiding me. She brought me to her." Ethan nodded toward Margaret. "So can I please leave? Soon the world will be changing and lines will be drawn. Anyone associated with Miss Parker and Jarod will be in danger."  
  
Stedman took a moment to digest what she was hearing. "I knew something was wrong the last time I spoke to her. She said that she was attempting something dangerous. That she would get in contact with me when she could. That's the last I heard from her. Then one of the operatives said that she had shot herself in an elevator in the Centre. I knew she would never do that. That she had planned to bring Jarod and Little Miss Parker here." Stedman looked at Ethan's face, trying to see some resemblance of Catherine. "How can I trust that you are Catherine's son?"  
  
Ethan concentrated on hearing what his mother's voice was saying. After a few minutes, Ethan lifted his head. "She says that she's sorry." Ethan paused, listening intently. "That she...sent Jacob..." Ethan paused again. "Back to the Centre." Ethan concentrated on the words and then looked up. "Jacob loved you very much."  
  
Stedman's eyes teared at the mention of Jacob's name. "No one but Catherine and Sydney knew that Jacob and I were a couple." Joan delicately ran her hand down Ethan's face. "You are Catherine's son. And you've mastered interpreting your inner sense. Not an easy task. Even your mother couldn't always control it."  
  
There was a knock on the door and Dr. Stedman turned to see Dr. Lorn standing in the doorway. "May I come in? It's time to remove her bandages."  
  
"Certainly Dr. Lorn. Please come in." Stedman turned back to Ethan. "Before I let you go; I want to know one thing. What is your real name?"  
  
"My name is Ethan. Thank you Dr. Stedman." Ethan took Stedman's hand to convey his thankfulness and headed for the door.  
  
"Ethan. There is one stipulation." Stedman announced which turned Ethan around.  
  
"Stipulation?" Ethan asked.  
  
"You take two of Parker's team with you. If the situation is getting dangerous, then I will not have Catherine Parker's son out there without protection."  
  
Ethan took a long inhale. "I'm not sure that I will be able to get near my father with other people with me." Ethan saw Stedman's decision in her face. "All right. I will take one person with me. Agreed?"  
  
"Agreed." Stedman took out her phone. "Alex. Please have the best agent for the Omega Team report to the tarmac. They will be guarding a very important person, Ethan, and will follow his orders. Thank you." Joan clicked the phone closed. "God speed Ethan. Take care of yourself."   
  
Ethan acknowledged Stedman's heartfelt farewell. He turned and followed his guard to the elevator.   
  
Stedman turned toward the patient just as the doctor removed her dressing. The person she saw just confirmed what Ethan had told her. She went over and took the woman's hand. She was older, but Stedman recognized her. "Oh Margaret."  
  
**************************  
  
Lyle's spacious room left allot of space for him to pace. He had to dodge Sydney and meet Lily in a matter of hours. The fact that the Sweepers were outside his door didn't help either. Lyle looked through the peephole of his hotel room and could see the two men still standing there. "Don't these people have a life?" He said to himself. "Of course not idiot, you terrorized them into not having lives." For once his own tactics were working against him.  
  
Lyle got an idea and called to order room service. "This is room 917. I would like an order of Chicken chow mien, egg rolls, and wonton soup. I don't care if you don't carry it on the menu, get it for me ASAP. I need to make an appointment."  
  
Thirty minutes later the room service attendant approached Lyle's room balancing his tray of food. The two men standing guard in front of the door made the man fidget nervously. Paul, the lead Sweeper, looked over the tray and acknowledged Mr. Lyle's normal cuisine. He turned and knocked on the door.  
  
Lyle opened the door with a jerk. "It's about time you got here." Lyle studied the man.  
  
The attendant walked through the two men and Lyle slammed the door closed. "I'm sorry Sir if the food hasn't arrived in a timely manner." The man put the tray down on the table that stood toward the end of the room. He started asking if Lyle wanted the bill charged to his room, when the man was struck in back of the head.   
  
Lyle brought back his gun and put it back in his holster. He stripped the man of his uniform. He put it on over his shirt and trousers. A little big, but hopefully the goons wouldn't notice. Lyle took a quick mouthful of chow mien and pulled the tray from under the plates. He went to the door and positioned the tray to block his face. He opened the door and shuffled past the guards. He deepened his voice. "Man in there said he doesn't want to be disturbed. Seems like a pit bull, better listen.   
  
Both men nodded in agreement.  
  
Lyle saw their movements and made a mental note of it. He continued down the hall to the elevator and pushed the button. Once inside with the doors closed, Lyle stripped off his outer layer. He got off the elevator and headed for the main entrance. He would find a cab a little farther down from the hotel. And then he would be on his way to meet his fate.  
  
As Lyle walked out the rotating doors, a figure stepped out of the shadows to follow.  
  
**************************  
  
Broots sat at his desk. He was running a standard search for the statue that Sydney had been looking for. The computer was running the search and all there was to do was wait. He nervously rocked back and forth in his chair every so often looking around the quiet room.  
  
And it was too quiet. Sydney was no where to be found. And it was so unlike him to leave and not let anyone know where he was going. Also no one knew where Mr. Lyle had gone either. So now Miss Parker, Sydney, and Mr. Lyle made up the list of missing. The list was growing, this was not good.  
  
Broots picked up his picture of Debbie that he had on his desk. He was glad for one thing. There was always one constant in his life. His little Debbie. But she wasn't little anymore. She was growing up so quickly. At least he knew that no matter what happened at the Centre, she was untouched by it. For that he was thankful.   
  
He hoped that wherever Miss Parker and Sydney were, that they were safe. And would be back soon. With the office empty, it gave him the creeps. Broots put Debbie's picture down and proceeded to go over what information the computer had spit out.  
  
And there it was. The statue that Sydney had been looking for. He picked up his cell phone and speed dialed Sydney's number.   
  
"Hello. This is Sydney. Please leave a message at the tone."  
  
"Sydney. This is Broots. I found the statue's origin. Please give me a call as soon as possible." Broots hung up the phone. It was the same message he had gotten all day. "Where are you Sydney?"   
  
**************************  
  
Lily was checking out the stage area. Becky had given her the script for tonight's show and she was memorizing the choreographics. She knew that tonight had to go flawlessly. It not only meant finding out about Bobby's mental condition, but that the safety of her team relied on her decisions.   
  
Ronnie and Joel headed for the exit on stage right to check the exits on the upper floors. They went through a door that opened up on the roof and started inspecting everything that Lily had ordered in place. Joel went and checked the line that was connected by a loop hook into the building's concrete. He pulled on the line to make sure it would withstand their weight. After being satisfied that the line was secure, he walked over to Ronnie. "What is that for?" The confused man asked. "I don't remember that being in the plans."  
  
Ronnie looked at the circular unit sitting on the edge of the roof. "It's in the plan now. Per Lily. Nothing more is to be said."  
  
"Yes Ma'am." Both went back through the door back into the building.   
  
Jarod was standing in the middle of the room. He was running scenarios: picturing a room full of people. Noise, music, people talking, drinking. How would Lyle enter? Would he be alone? He looked over at Lily. She was checking out the stage area. It looked as if she were up there for some sort of weird musical. But she wasn't.   
  
He thought about Kyle. How little time they had had to get to know each other. The first member of his family he had ever met. Ripped away from him by Lyle. Would Lily be pulled down the same path?   
  
They also had had so little time together. Everything had moved so fast. In his quest for finding out the truth about himself, he had opened her up to the pursuit of Lyle. But he also knew that it was her search for herself that drove her. The same drive that he had. They needed to know who they were. And it was for this reason that he didn't grab Lily and Parker and run.   
  
Run to where the Centre couldn't find them. But that drive was too strong. Neither of them would be able to live not knowing the whole truth. And for Lily, Lyle held part of her puzzle. He hoped that she was right, but he still had his hatred for the man that had killed his brother.  
  
Jarod's eyes wandered up to the disco ball, when the lights went out and a spotlight hit the ball.  
  
Lily turned, pulled her gun from the back of her pants and ducked down. She was looking through the flickering lights for movement.  
  
Jarod dove behind one of the dance platforms. He could see movement coming from across the room. He slowly crept around the main walkway and hid behind the next set of round stages. He pulled the 9mm from the holster he had been given at Angel's Hope.  
  
Lily's eyes had adjusted to the darkened room and had slipped behind the curtain on stage left. She moved the curtain with the nose of her gun and saw movement by the entrance door. She strained to see if the figure looked like Lyle or the Sweeper teams.  
  
The figure moved along the wall. It seemed like it stumbled over something. Jarod approached from the front, Lily from the figure's right. Just as both pointed their weapon at the figure, the lights suddenly came on.  
  
"Ahhhhhh." A scream was heard.   
  
*************************  
  
The World is a Game.  
  
And we are only Players.  
  
Is destiny fated?  
  
Or do the Players control their destinies?  
  
Only time will tell.  
  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. 


	36. Rude Discovery

Chapter 36: Rude Discovery   
  
The World is a Game.  
  
And we are only Players.  
  
Is destiny fated?  
  
Or do the Players control their destinies?  
  
Only time will tell.  
  
*************************  
  
Jarod dove behind one of the dance platforms. He could see movement coming from across the room. He slowly crept around the main walkway and hid behind the next set of round stages. He pulled the 9mm from the holster he had been given at Angel's Hope.  
  
Lily's eyes had adjusted to the darkened room and had slipped behind the curtain on stage left. She moved the curtain with the nose of her gun and saw movement by the entrance door. She strained to see if the figure looked like Lyle or the Sweeper teams.  
  
The figure moved along the wall. It seemed like it stumbled over something. Jarod approached from the front, Lily from the figure's right. Just as both pointed their weapon at the figure, the lights suddenly came on.  
  
"Ahhhhhh." A scream was heard. Mark lifted his arms up in front of his face. "Don't shoot!"  
  
Lily dropped her arms out of the firing pose. "What the hell do you think you're doing turning the lights out!"  
  
Jarod holstered his gun. "You almost got yourself shot."  
  
Mark looked bewildered at both of them. "What are you talking about? I came in through the door, the place was dark, then the lights go on and the two of you are standing here pointing guns in my face."  
  
"You didn't turn off the lights?" Lily asked.  
  
Parker stepped out from the hallway that was attached to the back of the stage. "No, I did."  
  
Jarod turned to look at Parker. "Whatever possessed you to turn off the lights? We could have killed Mark."  
  
"But you didn't. You're both ready. Ready to face the Centre." Parker smiled.  
  
"And what brings you to that conclusion now?" Lily asked with anger in her voice.  
  
"Listen. It's all fine and dandy that you have your little plans and schematics, but the Centre doesn't always play by the rules. I needed to know that the two of you could adapt." Parker looked at Lily. "That Lily could react to change and not panic." She then turned to Jarod. "That you wouldn't react to save Lily verses dealing with what was happening." She paused looking at the two siblings. "I don't want to lose the two of you."  
  
Lily calmed down. "Good job. Keep me on my toes. I don't want you ever to feel like I am complacent with a situation."  
  
Jarod went and put his arms around Parker. "You're not going to lose me. You've spent too many years trying to catch me."  
  
Lily and Mark stood smiling. Parker moved uncomfortably in Jarod's arms. He knew that she wasn't use to showing emotion in front of people.  
  
Lily picked up on Parker's uneasiness and grabbed Mark's hand. "Come with me. We have to check that thing in the other building."  
  
"That thing?" Mark looked at Lily. Lily was using her eyes and tilted her head to indicate Parker. "Oh. That thing. Yes, we have to check that. Definitely." Mark smiled as Lily led him by the hand out the front door.  
  
Parker watched the two go out the door. "Well that made Mark's day. They're really subtle aren't they?" She relaxed a little in Jarod's arms. "So I guess we've been outted. We're officially a couple."  
  
"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Jarod said as he brought Parker around and kissed her.  
  
"No. You have been neglectful in that area, but I think you could make up for it." She pulled him back down into another kiss. She pulled slowly away so she was looking into Jarod's soft brown eyes. "But first things first. Do you feel more confident that Lily can handle herself?"  
  
Jarod sighed. "You think I'm overreacting don't you?"  
  
"No. You're not overreacting. What Lily is doing is very dangerous. Raines is ruthless and relentless. If anyone knows that, it's you."  
  
Jarod decided to voice what he was thinking earlier. "I don't think I could take losing Lily. When Kyle died, a part of me died too. The pain I was feeling turned into anger. It started eating me inside. I saw a part of me come out that I never really wanted to see. A part I didn't know existed till then."  
  
Parker looked into Jarod's eyes again. "So you understand now why Lily has to do this." She paused for a moment to think of how to phrase what she had observed. "Lily is remembering the atrocities of her childhood. She's seeing a part of herself come out that she doesn't understand or like. She tries to play like she is in control and powerful, but at times you can see that she is frightened of what she is becoming. How her past at the Centre is being integrated into her personality."  
  
"When did you become a psychologist?" Jarod asked.  
  
"I must be hanging around Sydney too much. Honestly. The two of you are very much alike. In analyzing you all these years, I can read her."  
  
"I'm still not sure if meeting Lyle is the best thing. I don't trust him." Jarod walked to one of the tables, bringing Parker with him. He pulled out the chair and Parker took a seat. Then he took a seat next to her. "After everything he has done to me..."  
  
Parker interrupted. "Want to know something that I will never admit to ever again." Parker paused. "Somewhere deep down I'm hoping that Lily succeeds."  
  
Jarod looked at Parker in shock. "You have been the biggest opponent to all of this. When did you change your mind?"  
  
"I've been thinking allot about my life. I grew up without my mother, a father who was absorbed by his work, and have had nothing more than boarding school and lovers in my life. The only people, besides my mother, who showed me any affection were Thomas and you."  
  
Jarod could see Parker was choking up. "You don't have to talk about this."  
  
"Yes I do. I have kept my emotions inside ever since my mother died. My father showed me how to be emotionless and unfeeling, when I really needed love and compassion. I miss having a family Jarod. Robert Parker is dead. I will not acknowledge Raines as having any right to call himself my father. So the only family I have left is..."  
  
"Ethan and Lyle." Jarod finished.  
  
Parker corrected him. "If Lily is right, then all I have left is Ethan and Bobby. Lyle was never my brother."  
  
Jarod reached across the table and took Parker's hand. He understood now what she was trying to say. "So if Lily can get in touch with Bobby, then maybe Lyle will cease to exist."  
  
"I don't know if he will cease to exist. I'm not even sure Lyle has any essence of who he was still inside. I don't know if he could learn to live without the terror and find compassion for others. But if there is, then maybe we'd be able to help each other find out who we were."  
  
"The fact that he agreed to meet Lily and remembers her may be a good sign. That's if he doesn't bring a Sweeper team with him." Jarod could see that Parker was looking off and looked as if someone was talking to her. "Are you hearing something with your inner sense?"  
  
"Yes. It's still hard to hear, but I don't think he is. Somehow I think I would know if he were going to do something bad. I think my mother would warn me."  
  
"I hope so. So that both our families can heal and grow." Jarod smiled at Parker.  
  
"Grow?" Parker asked with visions of what Jarod had meant. "I think you have the wrong woman. I can't even take care of Mr. Wiggles by myself."  
  
Jarod laughed. "You wouldn't be by yourself. But for now we better just get through today. So we better get over to the other building and help Lily and Mark with that thing."  
  
Parker smiled now. "Oh - that thing. Yes, we better go help them."  
  
Jarod stood up and extended his hand out to Parker. She placed her hand in his and stood up. They exited the building hand in hand as dusk was falling.  
  
*************************  
  
Lyle walked quickly down the block. Dusk was falling. He was unconsciously playing with the medallion hanging around his neck. When he had gotten two blocks away, he hailed a cab. Lyle climbed inside the cab and gave the cabbie the address Broots had given him. The cab took off.  
  
The figure that had been shadowing Lyle sat in the cab he had hailed when Lyle had motioned for his. The man instructed the driver to follow the other cab.  
  
Lyle sat in the cab debating with himself on what the hell he was doing. He was feeling a mixture of apprehension and excitement. Lyle looked out the window of the cab as he remembered the face he had seen on the screen in his office. He remembered the words she had written on the note, which he had in his pocket.  
  
"Seek the theater of Truth and you will find me. I know the secrets and have the solutions. I will see you in two days at the city of Angels."  
Hearing her voice had given him a warm feeling. Some part of him longed for that feeling, another part despised it.  
  
"Let me know when we are about two blocks away." Lyle instructed the cabbie.  
  
"Yes Sir." The cabbie replied. About ten minutes later, the man spoke. "Sir, we are stuck in traffic. It will take a little while to get there."  
  
"Great." Lyle looked at his watch. "Just great." Lyle sat in the cab and stewed.  
  
After a half an hour, the cab started moving again. "Must have been an accident Sir. We should be there soon." After about fifteen minutes, the cabbie announced. "Sir, we are about two blocks out."  
  
"Stop the cab. Let me out here." The cabbie pulled over to the curb. Lyle leaned up to the little window that separated the driver from the rear of the cab. "Which way is it to the address I gave you?"  
  
The cabbie pointed straight ahead. "Two blocks up. One block to the right. You can't miss it. You'll see the crowd."  
  
Lyle pulled his wallet out and pushed a fifty through the hole. "Keep the change. But you never saw me. Understand?"  
  
The cabbie took the fifty and pocketed it. "Saw who?"   
  
Lyle opened the door and got out. He slammed the door shut and the cab drove off.  
  
The cabbie saw the man walking off in his rear view mirror. He took out his cell phone and dialed. "He's on his way." The cabbie shut the phone and drove off into the night.  
  
*************************   
  
Lily stood in the room dressed in a silver jumpsuit that glistened in the light. She had put on a silver wig and had been applying false eyelashes and glitter makeup. Her phone rang. She picked it up and flipped it open. She listened to the person on the other end and then hung up the phone. "He's on his way. I'm outta here."  
  
Jarod came from the corner of the room he had been sitting in. "Please let me be in the club Lily. I won't interfere."  
  
Lily had headed for the door. "Jarod we have been through this over and over. I go in with Ronnie and Joel. They will be in the audience and watching my back. You and Parker are too important to have on the front line. Ronnie will watch my back - she always has. And there will be agents on the street and in this building. You will be watching from here and connected to me by this earpiece. You will hear everything and I will hear you. Don't worry." Lily slapped her brother's chest. "Let the Game begin." Lily headed for the door with Ronnie and Joel on her heels. Joel closed the door. Lily went to the guard outside the door. "No matter what happens, don't let him go over to that building. He stays here till Joel and Ronnie return and then all of you get the hell out of here. Understood?"  
  
"Yes Ma'am." The guard responded.  
  
Lily headed to meet her destiny.  
  
*************************  
Lyle approached the tall building. He looked up at the towering building before him and tried to calculate what exits the building may have. He then looked around and at the crowd of people that had gathered around the entranceway of the building. He saw a sign that read. "Theatre Dance Club". It had gotten dark and the lights glittered in the night sky.   
  
He could spot no one that looked like a threat, but then figured Lily was smart enough to disguise anyone who would be in her employ.  
  
The people mulling around the club were in their twenties. Dressed in baggy pants and t-shirts, mini leather skirts and tank tops, and other various forms of party dress. Lyle looked out of place in his dress shirt, tie, and suit pants. So he decided to ditch the tie. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and then decided he still looked out of place.  
  
He walked up to the front of the building. A marquee on the outside of the building said that the club inside was a theatrical nightclub experience. There were live acts that performed dance numbers along with live band dancing.  
  
Lyle approached the front door of the building and paid the rather large doorman a rather large tip to gain entrance into the club before everyone that was standing in line. Lyle walked past the man and entered the wide double doors. There was a red carpet leading through to the dance floor and ended at the stage area. He could see a large protruding stage and some smaller round ones, a dance floor, and tables set up to the rear. Lyle spotted a table near one of the round stages. He made his way through the dancing crowd and sat at the table.  
  
A waitress came and asked him if he wanted a drink. Lyle ordered and the waitress brought him a seven and seven. Lyle surveyed the crowd looking for Lily, but couldn't spot her. The crowd was dancing to the song "I Will Survive." Just as he was wondering whether Lily had sent him on a wild goose chase, the lights went down in the club.   
  
The stage lights lit up and there were dancers posed in various positions on the stage. The music started. It was the song Mr. Roboto by Styx.  
  
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto   
Mata ah-oo Hima de   
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto   
Himitsu wo Shiri Tai   
  
The dancers dance around the stage, some positioning themselves on the smaller circular stages. The lights were flashing and flickering with techno precision. Lyle looked up at the dancer who had positioned herself in front of him. He looked into the face of Lily dressed in silver and sparkling in the lights. She started to sing:  
  
You're wondering who I am.......   
*************************  
  
The Game has entered it's final phase.  
  
The Players have positioned themselves.  
  
Will the answers they seek be found?  
  
Only they will be able to tell.  
  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. The song Mr. Roboto is also the sole property of the group Styx. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. 


	37. Unexpected Turns

Chapter 37: Unexpected Turns   
  
The Game has entered it's final phase.  
  
The Players have positioned themselves.  
  
Will the answers they seek be found?  
  
Only they will be able to tell.  
  
*************************  
  
A waitress came and asked him if he wanted a drink. Lyle ordered and the waitress brought him a seven and seven. Lyle surveyed the crowd looking for Lily, but couldn't spot her. The crowd was dancing to the song "I Will Survive." Just as he was wondering whether Lily had sent him on a wild goose chase, the lights went down in the club.   
  
The stage lights lit up and there were dancers posed in various positions on the stage. The performers were dressed in silver jumpsuits constructed in various designs. The music started and the main vocalist started to sing. It was the song Mr. Roboto by Styx.  
  
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto   
Mata ah-oo Hima de   
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto   
Himitsu wo Shiri Tai   
  
The dancers danced around the stage, some positioning themselves on the smaller circular stages. The lights were flashing and flickering with techno precision. Lyle looked up at the dancer who had positioned herself in front of him. He looked into the face of Lily dressed in silver and sparkling in the lights. She started to sing:  
  
You're wondering who I am - Machine or mannequin   
With parts made in Japan, I am the modern woman.   
  
I've got a secret, I've been hiding   
Under my skin.   
My heart is human; my blood is boiling   
My brain IBM. (Lily pointed to where the chip was)  
So if you see me, acting strangely   
Don't be surprised.  
  
Lily knelt down on her heels and sang straight to Lyle.  
I'm just a woman who, needed someone   
And somewhere to hide   
To keep me alive (Lily brought her hands over her heart)- Just keep me alive.   
Somewhere to hide to keep me alive.   
Lily stood back up and pointed at Lyle.  
I'm not a robot, without emotion   
I'm not what you see.   
I've come to help you, with your problems   
So we can be free.   
  
Lily brought her hands down on both sides with her palms facing out.  
I'm not a hero; I'm not a savior   
Forget what you know.   
  
Lily brought her hands back up and pointed to herself with her thumb.  
I'm just a woman whose, circumstances   
Went beyond her control - beyond my control.   
Beyond my control, (Lily shook her head no) we all need control.   
  
Lily knelt down on her heels again.  
  
I am the modern woman, (Lily hid behind her hands and then parted them) who hides behind a mask   
So no one else can see, my true identity   
  
Lily stood up again. She looked around the room as she sang.  
  
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto, Domo (Domo), Domo (Domo)   
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto, Domo (Domo), Domo (Domo)   
  
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto  
  
Lily started down the steps on the side of the circular stage.  
  
Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto for doing the jobs that nobody wants to   
Lily stood next to Lyle, with Lyle looking up at her, and took his hand.  
  
And thank you very much, Mr. Roboto for helping me escape just when I needed   
to   
Thank you - Thank you. Thank you.   
I want to thank you, please thank you.   
  
The problem's plain to see   
Too much technology   
Machine's to save our lives   
(Lily let go of Lyle's hand and pointed at her head again) Machines dehumanize   
Lily knelt down next to Lyle. Lyle leaned down toward Lily.  
The time has come at last.   
To throw away this mask.   
Now everyone can see.   
My true identity.   
  
The remainder of the cast finished the dance routine they had been performing. Lily took the seat next to Lyle.  
  
"Lily?" Lyle asked. "Is it really you?" He was trying to compare the adult face with the young girl he was beginning to remember.   
  
"Yes. It's me." Lily answered as regular music began to fill the club again.  
  
Lyle decided to be direct. "What is this thing in my head?" Lyle yelled above the noise of the crowd.  
  
"It's a device that controls your anger levels. It stimulates the brain and blocks memories. Do you remember being brought into an operating pre-op when we were at the Centre?"  
  
Lyle had a flash of making a deal with Raines and dropping off into unconsciousness. He had already had this memory, so he concentrated more on that memory and then remembered being in a surgical ward and everything was fuzzy. A nurse was prepping him for surgery. Lyle grabbed the side of his head.  
  
Lily could see his face go pale. "The pain will subside in a minute and you'll be all right. You had a memory didn't you? I know it's painful, but it's the only way you will gain control."  
  
Lyle grabbed the medallion. "What the hell does this thing have to do with anything?"  
  
"It blocks the signals and interrupts the impulses. It allows your memories to come through. But the memories come with a price."  
  
"The pain. When the device interrupts the chip, it causes pain." Lyle concluded.  
  
"Like a sledgehammer chipping at your brain." Lily tapped her temple. "Been there, done it. But the memories are worth it. You remember him hurting us don't you? Raines played with our minds and our lives. He had no right!"  
  
Another flash came to Lyle being programmed by Raines as a teenager. And with the flash came pain. Lyle got up from the table and backed up holding his head. "What are you doing to me? Stop it. I don't want to remember."  
  
Lily stood up and pushed the chair back. She took him by the elbows and held him tight. "You need to know the truth. The things you have started to remember have been suppressed for years. But the time of Raines' control is over. I let you down before; I'm not going to do it again. The medallion is your link to the true you. The personality before Raines."  
  
Lyle picked up the medallion again. "How do I know this little ditty isn't causing false memories? Maybe you're trying to bring down Raines and me. The Centre is power and I partially control that power. Someday I will control all of it!"  
  
Lily straightened up. "The Centre is no more than a torture chamber for the Parker's. You will never control the Centre because your last name isn't Parker. Not truly Parker. Raines was cast away like a broken toy and then he threw you away."  
  
Lyle's face changed from his cockiness. "You know Raines is my father? Did dear ole Sis tell you that?" He turned his head to hide his anger and shame, then brought it back to look at Lily. "And for your information, I wasn't thrown away. I have my position at the Centre."  
  
"No? Did you grow up in the loving arms of your mother and sister? Did you live in the big house with Robert Parker? No. Raines stole you and sent you to the Bowman's. And we both know how much of a loving family they were. He didn't keep you and allow you to be raised with his wife and daughter." Lily could see the hurt growing on his face. "We are nothing more than experiments to him. You are better than him Bobby."  
  
Lyle's whole demeanor dropped. "Bobby was a lifetime ago Lily. I'm no longer Bobby Bowman. Now I'm Mr. Lyle. I command respect. People jump when I say so. I have powerful connections. I will have the Centre under my control and I will show Raines."  
  
Lily looked at Bobby with sad eyes. "You're not Mr. Lyle. That's your facade. Your adopted father's name confiscated for all the years of abuse. Yes, Parker told me what he did. She told me about the shed."  
  
"She knows about the shed?" Shame came over him.  
  
Lily put her hand on his shoulder. "It had to be awful. And with the chip in your head I'm sure you had allot of urges to promote vengeance. But that was Raines doing - he took you, filled you with all the anger and the resources to exact revenge. I bet it was his idea to kill your friend." Lily imitated Raines. "Friends are an unnecessary liability. Remember you decide who lives or dies."  
  
Lyle couldn't help but chuckle. She had imitated Raines exactly. "He wheezes now though." Lily looked confused. "Raines has emphysema; he has to carry around an air tank. He wheezes now."  
  
Lily remembered Jarod saying that Raines dragged an air tank. "OK. Next time I'll wheeze." The two laughed like they use to. "You have to stop. You're not Lyle, you're Bobby."  
  
Lyle started pacing and yelling. "How would you know who I am? You left me behind over thirty years ago and the two of you never looked back." Lyle stopped short as the words brought to him an underlying realization. "You left me behind."  
  
Ronnie and Joel started to approach. Lily put her hand up in a stop motion. The two stopped their advance.   
Lily's eyes teared up. "I'm sorry. I did what you told me to do. I ran. If I had come back out of that vent, then I would have been caught. We found Catherine Parker's notes. I was set for termination by Raines. I was too strong willed for his testing." Now Lily was pacing. "You told me to go. You blocked the guards. So why are you so angry?"  
  
Lyle's anger started growing. "Angelo pushed you down that vent. I saw him. He didn't even think of coming back and helping me. He could have dropped the grate on the guards. He could have come out and help me, but noooooo he..."  
  
A light went on in Lily's brain. "You're not mad at me for leaving, you're mad at Angelo. Parker said you were always horrible to Angelo. Even when everyone around him loves him."  
  
Lyle snapped his head. "Parker used the word love. You must have her on some heavy-duty drugs wherever you have her stashed. Enough so that she doesn't keep her mouth shut!"  
  
"Bobby! She's only trying to help. And no she is not on any narcotics. At least not at this moment." Lily couldn't refrain from chuckling.  
  
At first Lyle looked at her annoyed and then thought about it. "So you couldn't stand her incessant nipping either huh? She's like a little Chihuahua. Always at your heels. Made you rethink the whole kidnapping thing didn't it?" Even Lyle chuckled.  
  
Lily smiled at seeing Bobby smile. "She's not that bad - she's your sister." She paused. "No matter what the situation, we have always been able to make each other laugh. Even when things were at their darkest."  
  
Lyle shook his head. "What are we doing here Lily? I don't think either of us came to take a walk down Memory Lane."  
  
"I wanted to give you a chance to prove to me that you weren't the person they say you were. That there was a speck of the person I knew...and cared for."  
  
Lyle's face was solemn. "I can't care for anyone. I haven't in a long time. Not since you left...."  
  
Lily's eyes grew big and her face changed to pure anger. "You set me up! You are the person they told me you were."  
  
Lyle turned in the direction Lily had been looking at. He saw Raines and two Sweepers coming into the club and began to make their way across the room. He turned back around to explain that he had no idea how Raines found them. "I didn't bring them..." But she was gone. He searched over the heads of the crowd to see that Lily had been enveloped by the crowd. "Lily!" He screamed. Suddenly Lyle caught a glimpse of Lily and two others exiting the room opposite Raines.  
  
Raines spotted her too. Lyle, Raines, and the Sweepers all started for the door. But the crowd seemed to have become a human brick wall.  
  
"Lily wait!" Lyle screamed pushing his way through the crowd.  
  
Raines was having trouble getting his oxygen tank through the crowd. Sweepers were tossing people aside.  
  
Lyle, seeing the Sweeper Team advancing, pushed his way faster through the crowd. He ran through the doorway; spotted stairs to his right and a door straight ahead. He heard a noise above him and chose the stairway. He started running up the steps two at a time.  
  
As Lyle disappeared onto the second floor stairwell, the Sweepers entered and started to follow.   
  
*************************  
  
The hardest thing to know in a game is...  
  
Who are friends and who are foes.  
  
And sometimes the line is blurry.  
  
Who will be an enemy in the end?  
  
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. The song Mr. Roboto is also the sole property of the group Styx. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. 


	38. Evil Twists

Chapter 38: Evil Twists   
  
The hardest thing to know in a game is...  
  
Who are friends and who are foes.  
  
And sometimes the line is blurry.  
  
Who will be an enemy in the end?  
  
*************************  
Raines spotted her too. Lyle, Raines, and the Sweepers all started for the door. But the crowd seemed to have become a human brick wall.  
  
"Lily wait!" Lyle screamed pushing his way through the crowd.  
  
Raines was having trouble getting his oxygen tank through the crowd. Sweepers were tossing people aside, to the left and right, making a path for Raines.  
  
Lyle, seeing the Sweeper Team advancing, pushed his way faster through the crowd. He ran through the doorway; spotted stairs to his right and a door straight ahead. He heard a noise above him and looked up. The sound of footsteps resounded in the hallway, so Lyle chose the stairway. He started running up the steps two at a time.  
  
As Lyle disappeared onto the second floor stairwell, the Sweepers entered and started to follow.   
  
Lyle could hear Lily up above. "Lily wait." He reached a door at the top of the last stairwell. He pushed it open to see Lily and her companions across the roof. The roof was rectangle and had a brick ledge all the way around the building. The man was attaching some form of harness clip to a cable and Lily pushed him down the line. The woman was already slipping through a window at the building catty corner to the building they were on. The man continued sliding down the line to the same building.  
  
Lyle was afraid Lily would cross before he could explain to her. "Lily!"  
  
Lily turned, spotted Lyle, and turned back around. Lyle thought Lily was going to cross, but instead she waited for the man to reach the other building and unclipped the line.  
  
Lyle slowly approached her. "Lily. I didn't bring Raines. He must have followed me."  
  
Lily snapped her head. "Like I'm going to believe you. I'm a genius - remember?" She moved along the roof edge to the corner. "You're the one who said you could never change."  
  
"I would never hurt you." Lyle pleaded.  
  
"I'm sorry to break up our little reunion, but I have people waiting for me." With that Lily started to run.  
  
Lyle suddenly saw what Lily was running for. A small round trampoline had been set up next to the edge of the building. He saw Lily make a giant leap, landed squarely on her feet, and flew like a torpedo towards the next building. "Lily, no!"  
  
Lyle ran to the edge of the roof. He watched Lily fly through the air and roll onto the other building's roof. He estimated that she had flown ten feet.  
  
He knew that the Sweepers would be on the roof soon. They may have stopped to check out some of the floors, but eventually they would be there. He had to talk to her, get more answers, figure out how she survived the torture, and get her to believe him that he hadn't betrayed her. Lyle backed up and started running.  
  
Lily had gotten up from her roll and looked over to see where Bobby was. Her eyes widened with terror when she realized what Bobby was going to do. "Bobby no!" She screamed as Bobby ran for the trampoline.  
  
Within minutes Lyle was airborne and the Sweepers burst through the roof door. One spoke into a walkie-talkie as they turned around and went back through the door.  
  
Lyle tried to stay as straight as Lily had, but he did not travel as easy. He slammed onto the ledge of the next building's roof. Without the thumb on his one hand, his chest slipped down the ledge as he wildly grabbed for the ledge.  
  
"Bobby!" Lily screamed as she saw him slipping off the roof. She ran to the edge and could see that he was holding on by one hand and trying to get his footing on the side of the building. "Hang on." Lily knew if she grabbed him, they would both fall to their deaths.  
  
"Lily." Lyle tried to scream. "Run." He gasped as he felt sharp pain in his abdomen, but knew he had to get her to hear him. "Get out of here. The Sweepers are coming." He could barely get above a whisper.  
  
Lily looked around the rooftop. Various pipes, ducts, and air conditioning units cluttered the roof. She spotted a chain locked onto a pipe. She pulled hoping it would be long enough to reach Lyle. "Bobby, grab this." The chain just reached over the edge, but not by much. Lily grabbed his shirt as he grabbed the chain.  
  
"Get out of here. They'll be coming." Lyle said through gasps of pain as he tried to pull with his good arm on the chain.  
  
"I can't leave you hanging here with a hand that doesn't have a thumb. Someday you'll have to explain that to me, but for right now get up here. I won't leave you again." She pulled on his belt and Bobby brought his leg up and over the edge. She finished pulling him onto the rooftop.  
  
Just then the door to the entryway of the roof slammed open. Two Sweepers in dark black suits stood there.  
  
Lily was kneeling next to Lyle. He could see Lily intently watching the men through her bangs with fire in her upturned eyes.  
  
Lyle whispered in Lily's ear the words he remembered her telling him. "Don't give in without a fight."  
  
Lily stood up and took her fighting stance. She motioned with her hand for the men to come and get her.  
  
The first Sweeper advanced with an air of superiority. Lily started to circle, the man following suit. When he rushed at her, she kicked him square in the stomach with her right knee and brought her clutched hands down behind the man's neck. He fell to the ground stunned and the wind knocked out of him.   
  
Lily stood back and took a deep breath. She looked over at the second man. This time the man pulled out a 9mm weapon.  
  
"I think you will just stand right there Ma'am." The man said as he approached her.  
  
Lyle tried to pick himself up, but he could already feel the bruising around his ribs. He was in pain every time he took a breath.  
  
Lily stood very still. She watched as the tall, muscular man approached her. She analyzed what her options were.  
  
The Sweeper pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket. "Now I'm going to slip these on you and we are going to walk calmly down the stairs."  
  
Lily, tilting her head, replied. "Kinky."  
  
This infuriated the Sweeper who advanced with the cuffs open.  
  
Lily took advantage of his anger and outstretched her wrists. When he went to put the cuffs on, she grabbed the cuff and slammed it on the man's wrist. She grabbed the other side and pulled the man off balance sideways. Lily dragged the man to a pipe sticking up and closed the other cuff to it.  
  
Lily backed up out of the man's reach. She put her hands on her slender hips. "I may look scrappy, but I have a lot of inner strength."  
  
Lyle was so busy watching Lily's moves and smiling at her victories, that he didn't notice till it was too late that someone else had entered the rooftop. The movement caught Lyle's eyes and he tried to scream to Lily. "Watch out!" But it came out no more than a whisper.   
  
Lily turned enough that she saw a gun handle come at her. It hit her at the top of her spine. She fell down to the floor stunned.  
  
Lyle saw the sinister smile on Cox's face. "Foolish girl." Cox said as he pulled a hypodermic from his pocket. He stabbed the needle into Lily's arm.  
  
The last thing Lily saw was Raines looking down at her. "Seems like I got my prize after all." With that Lily fell into unconsciousness.  
  
*************************  
  
Parker and Jarod had set up their post at the middle window on the 3rd floor. It was an empty office room except for the equipment that the Angel's Hope crew had brought in. A few chairs, listening equipment, a telescope, binoculars, and other various equipment pieces.  
  
Lily's team took up all the other windows facing the nightclub. Max, one of the team members, waited in the last window where the line from the nightclub roof ended. He would assist the sliders with their disembarkment and then detach the line to prevent any further travelers.  
  
Jarod and Parker took a pair of binoculars each. Jarod was intently studying the entrance of the nightclub. All the members of the command team were wearing ear microphones; Jarod could hear everything going on.  
  
Parker was watching him. His body language screamed that he was nervous. She decided to look through her binoculars to see if she could spot any Sweepers in the crowd. "Lily can take care of herself. You don't have to protect her Papa Bear. I'm sure the Big Bad Wolf will be putty in her hands."  
  
Jarod brought down the binoculars. "Papa Bear? I always thought that it was the mother bear that protected the young?"  
  
Parker looked at Jarod. "Haven't you ever read Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood?" Jarod had a blank stare. "When this is all over, I'll buy you the books. What I meant is that she knows what she is doing. She's just like you - she'll have run every permutation known to God. So you have to calm down. You're going to have a stroke."  
  
Jarod frowned. "I am not nervous. She is a grown woman and well trained. She can handle herself."  
  
Now Parker had the stare. "Yeah right. And I'm going to go find Broots and make wild passionate love to him. It just isn't going to happen and you believing Lily is safe is also impossible."  
  
The other people in the room snickered, which reminded Parker that they weren't alone.  
  
Jarod went back to looking through his binoculars. "I'm not nervous, being overprotective, nor do I have any doubts on Lily's abilities. And I'm sure Mr. Broots would drop dead from shock the minute you took off any form of clothing."  
  
"But..." Parker began.  
  
Jarod brought down the binoculars and Parker could see the saddest chestnut brown eyes she had ever seen before. "But I wish I were there. Just in case anything......"  
  
Parker put her finger on Jarod's lips. "It's her mission; we play by her rules. You can't start double guessing, you'll drive yourself crazy."  
  
Max spoke from his position. "Subject has approached the building."  
  
Parker and Jarod heard on their earpieces Lily's, Veronica's, and Joel's acknowledgement. Both brought up their binoculars and spotted Lyle. He looked disheveled, was constantly looking over his shoulder, and around the crowd. Then he read the marquee and entered the building.  
  
"What is he wearing? He looks like hell. Like he fell out of the Centre plane and it ran over him." Parker said as she watched Lyle enter the building.   
  
"Subject has entered the building." Max reported to the team members.  
  
Jarod could hear that Lily was getting ready to go out and that Veronica and Joel were in place.  
  
Joel reported that Lyle had surveyed the crowd and had taken the table that they had left open for him.  
  
Then the music began and Jarod could hear the words. It killed him that he wasn't there, couldn't protect his sister from Lyle. He turned and sat on the floor under the window. Lily had begun her discussion with Lyle.  
  
Parker joined Jarod on the floor, snuggling up next to him. She was listening to Lyle's voice. "He sounds different. I can't pinpoint why."  
  
"He doesn't have the sharpness in his voice, that cocky confidence." Jarod surmised also concentrating on Lyle's voice.  
  
Parker sat with her eyes closed and realized what she was hearing. "He's afraid. For the first time in his life - he can't control the situation. The wall that makes up Lyle is being chipped at." Then she could hear the voices. "I can hear the voices, they're frenzied. Something's going to happen." Then she heard Lyle and Lily again over her earpiece. "I actually feel sorry for him - it's not everyday that someone throws in your face that you're nothing to anyone."  
  
Then Jarod heard Lyle's version of Lily's escape. He had never imagined Lyle as anything more than the murderer of his brother. But at one time he was a scared child trapped in the Centre. "He felt abandoned by everyone."  
  
"Poor Lily. She has to face leaving Lyle behind face to face." Then she heard them discussing Angelo. "That's why he hates Angelo so much."  
  
Jarod looked at Parker. "Maybe we shouldn't be listening. This is private between the two of them."  
  
Parker looked sideways at Jarod. "Are you kidding? I'm learning more about my brother now than I have in all the years I've known him."  
  
Then Jarod heard the hardness come into Lyle's voice and then he winced.  
  
Parker's eyes grew big. "A Chihuahua! I'll give him Chihuahua!" Parker sprung to her feet and headed for the door.  
  
"Parker no." Jarod ran and blocked the door. "You can't go down there." Jarod could hear Lily's response. "See. Lily is defending you."  
  
"Get out of my way Jarod. I'm going to kill him." Parker's beautiful eyes were ablaze.  
  
"Do you know that you are beautiful when you're angry?" Jarod smiled at her.  
  
Parker punched him in the chest. "I hate you. I want to be angry."  
  
Jarod put his arms around her. "But I love you. I know you want to be upset, but it's not good for you. Especially when everything with Lyle seems to be going so well..."  
  
Max was still on watch and spotted Raines going into the club. "Code red. Code red. Get out of there. Sweepers entering through the front door."  
  
Jarod and Parker heard the alert and ran to the window. They heard Lily scream at Lyle.  
  
"I knew it. The son of a bitch will never change. Do you see Sweepers anywhere else Max?" Parker picked up the binoculars. "There are two units a block down to the left. They're coming up the street."   
  
Max started barking orders. "OK people. Get ready to exit. Carlos have the car parked on Webster, we'll be coming out the South exit. Lily, Veronica, and Joel are on the move to the roof exit."  
  
Jarod picked up his binoculars. After a few minutes he spotted Lily, Veronica, and Joel. Veronica went to the line and attached her harness that was under her clothes. She climbed up on the ledge and jumped. She quickly slid down the line to the window. Max was helping Veronica get through the window, when Joel attached and jumped.  
  
"Come on Lily. Get over here." Jarod was moving nervously. Joel ran down the line and got through the window. Jarod saw Lily detach the line. He could hear a reeling sound as the end snapped into place on their building. "What are you doing? She hasn't come across yet."  
  
Veronica was releasing the harness after stripping of her dance clothes. "Boss' orders. She said that the line gets dropped the minute the two of us were across."  
  
"Jarod look. Lyle's on the roof." Parker yelled since she was still watching Lily with the binoculars.  
  
Jarod brought his binoculars back up. "What is she....Oh no. Is she crazy?"  
  
"Go Girl." Parker said as she saw Lily fly through the air. "Perfect landing." Then Parker saw Lyle. "No. He wouldn't even try... He'll never make it." Parker watched Lyle fly through the air. "Oh my God. My brother is an idiot."  
  
"Is he insane too?" Jarod started. "What am I saying, I know he is insane. They're both insane." Jarod watched Lyle fly and land half on the ledge.  
  
He's slipping." Parker yelled realizing that there was nothing she could do to help him. "Hang on. Come on. Pull yourself up."  
  
"Lily's got his shirt." Jarod could hear Lyle telling Lily something. "He's telling her to leave him. She won't do it." They listened to Lily's answer. "See - told you."  
  
Parker saw the door fly open on the roof. "Oh no. Sweepers. Tom and Ray."  
  
Jarod heard Lyle tell Lily not to give in without a fight. Lily stood up. The first Sweeper came at her. Jarod searched the roof and saw a fire escape. He spoke into the microphone. "Lily. There's a fire escape on the other side of the door if you can get past them."  
  
Parker saw Ray advance towards Lily. "Idiot. He's always thought he was the man. That a girl Lily. Take him down."  
  
Jarod saw Lily kick the man in the stomach and knock him to the ground. "Why isn't she trying to move toward the fire escape? That's it. I'm going over there." Jarod headed for the door, but Greg was standing in front of the door. Greg was a six-foot five inch ex wrestler who had been recruited for security by Angel's Hope. "Excuse me."  
  
Greg stood his ground.  
  
Veronica came up behind Jarod. "I can't let you go Jarod."  
  
Jarod spun around. "Lily is over there and in trouble. I am going to go help her."  
  
Parker, who had watched Lily make a fool out of Tom, also saw the roof door open. "Oh no." Parker spoke into the microphone. "Lily - Cox and Raines are coming up behind you."   
  
Jarod ran back to the window and picked up the binoculars he had put down. He saw Cox hit Lily in the back of her neck and then give her some sort of injection. He turned on his heels and threw the binoculars. When he got to the door, again Greg blocked his exit.  
  
Max, who had watched the whole fight came up behind Jarod and stood next to Greg and Veronica. "Ronnie, we have to get out now. They're waiting for us. It won't take long before the Sweeper teams get to this building. The plane has been notified and is waiting for us."  
  
Jarod's eyes showed fire. "We can't leave. We have to go over there and help her. Raines has got her and that man is insane. He did unspeakable things to her as a child. What is he going to do now? He's going to torture her to get to me.... and then Angel's Hope. I won't leave here with her in his hands!"  
  
Veronica stood her ground. "My job now is clear. I have direct orders to take you and Miss Parker back to Angel's Hope."  
  
"And who gave you those orders? Dr. Stedman? You think she wants Lily in Raines' hands?" Jarod said now frantic.  
  
"No. Lily. She is still my commander and these are her orders. I am to get her brother and the commander of Omega Team back to Angel's Hope. And I plan to do just that." Veronica pulled a 9mm gun.   
  
"You're going to have to shoot me to stop me from going over there. She can't be taken...." Jarod's eyes filled with tears. "I can't lose her...to him."  
  
Parker came up behind him. "Jarod. If we go over there now, we're only going to end up in Raines' hands. We have the knowledge and the codes to the Centre. We will get her out. If anyone can, you can."   
  
Jarod looked between Parker and Veronica, tears streaming down his face. "I can't leave her."  
  
Parker took both her hands and held his face. "You have to. You don't have a choice."  
  
Greg opened the door and checked the hallway. Veronica followed him. "And don't get any ideas Jarod. Greg here is capable of disabling you at any moment. Lily made sure of that."  
  
Parker put her arms around Jarod and they followed Veronica out into the hallway. They went down the elevator to the South exit. As Jarod walked out into the street, which was opposite the club entrance, a man was standing in the shadows of the corner of the building - two hundred feet away. Jarod looked up and the figure turned back.  
  
"Jarod!" Sydney called as he saw his prodigy. He could see that Jarod was crying. "Jarod wait." Then Sydney saw Parker. "Miss Parker. Wait!"  
  
Parker pushed Jarod into the car and it sped out into the night.  
  
************************  
  
Rules are for those who play fair.  
  
Some players always cheat.  
  
Some play by the rules.  
  
Which ones will win the Game? 


	39. Paths to Redemption and Insanity

Chapter 39: Paths to Redemption and Insanity  
  
Rules are for those who play fair. Some players always cheat. Some play by the rules. Which ones will win the Game?  
  
*************************  
  
"And who gave you those orders? Dr. Stedman? You think she wants Lily in Raines' hands?" Jarod said now frantic.  
  
"No. Lily. She is still my commander and these are her orders. I am to get her brother and the commander of Omega Team back to Angel's Hope. And I plan to do just that." Veronica pulled a 9mm gun.  
  
"You're going to have to shoot me to stop me from going over there. She can't be taken...." Jarod's eyes filled with tears. "I can't lose her...to him."  
  
Parker came up behind him. "Jarod. If we go over there now, we're only going to end up in Raines' hands. We have the knowledge and the codes to the Centre. We will get her out. If anyone can, you can."  
  
Jarod looked between Parker and Veronica, tears streaming down his face. "I can't leave her."  
  
Parker took both her hands and held his face. "You have to. You don't have a choice."  
  
Greg opened the door and checked the hallway. Veronica followed him. "And don't get any ideas Jarod. Greg here is capable of disabling you at any moment. Lily made sure of that."  
  
Parker put her arms around Jarod and they followed Veronica out into the hallway. They went down the elevator to the South exit. As Jarod walked out into the street, which was opposite the club entrance, a man was standing in the shadows of the corner of the building - two hundred feet away. Jarod looked up and the figure turned back.  
  
"Jarod!" Sydney called as he saw his prodigy. He could see that Jarod was crying. "Jarod wait." Then Sydney saw Parker. "Miss Parker. Wait!"  
  
Parker pushed Jarod into the car and it sped out into the night.  
  
Jarod sat in between Parker and Veronica with a look that could kill. He hadn't uttered a word since Parker had pushed him in the car.  
  
Parker was taking sideway glances at Jarod. She knew he was furious, heartbroken, and scared. She wasn't sure if he would ever forgive her for siding with Veronica. She finally broke the silence. "You all right? Are you ever going to talk to me again?"  
  
Jarod stayed silent while still looking forward. He couldn't talk to her right now. Anything he would say would just come out in anger. Jarod could see that they were approaching the landing field where the plane was waiting for them.  
  
Veronica reached down at her feet and grabbed her brief case. She pushed the numbers on the lock and clicked the latch. After looking through it for a few minutes, she took out two envelopes. "Jarod. Miss Parker. Lily asked me to give you these when we reached the plane." She handed the envelopes to Jarod and Parker. "Jarod. I want you to know that what I did was because I trust Lily's decision without question. And her orders were very specific. I think the letters will explain everything."  
  
The car stopped and the private jet was waiting on the runway. Parker, Jarod, Veronica, Joel, and Greg boarded the plane. Jarod took a seat off by himself. Parker took a seat with Veronica and Joel. She had become very sullen, knowing that she had hurt him and wasn't sure where that left them. Parker looked out the window watching the scenery, in the light of the moon, pass by her as the plane took off. She fought back tears that were welling up in her eyes.  
  
Jarod sat with the envelope in his hands. He was waving it back and forth in his hands as he sat contemplating the events of the night. Lily - what had she been thinking. There were so many ways to have handled that mission. So many escape paths. She had the line right there that she could have followed the others, but she hadn't. And he had given her an escape route with the fire escape and she hadn't taken it.  
  
He looked at the letter in his hand; afraid that what he was beginning to conclude would be true. He took his finger and slid it under the envelope's flap. He opened the flap and took out the single sheet of paper out of the envelope. He unfolded it and began to read:  
  
Dear Jarod,  
  
First off let me say that even though we have only known each other for a little while, I love you my brother. Please don't be angry with me or the others for following my orders. Whether you believe it or not, I did it this way for your own good. I knew what your reaction would be if I told you what I had been planning. The same as if the roles were reversed.  
  
I'm sure by the time you get this letter, you'll have already figured out that I have let Raines capture me. Recently someone close to both of us said to me that I needed to know my Enemy if I was to succeed. The only way I can do that is by confronting Raines.  
  
And no - I have not gone off the deep end. This is just what I must do to figure out who I am and whom I am fighting. It's also the only way I know how to keep my family safe.  
  
I am leaving Veronica in charge of Alpha Team and Parker in charge of Omega Team. What I need of you is the patience to allow me the time to do my mission and the courage to decide whether you can get me out.  
  
I want you to go back to Angel's Hope and see Becky. You will have a two to three hour lead on Raines getting me back to the Centre. I left her a letter explaining what I was going to do. She will be waiting for you. Use her to connect to Angelo. That way you will always have updates on what is happening. There is a room reserved outside Blue Cove where the two of you can operate from.  
  
I did not ask you for your escape route from the Centre in case they find a way to break through the barriers in my mind. So I will leave it up to your discretion whether it is feasible to rescue me or list me as a casualty. Either way Parker should be ready before two weeks to defend Angel's Hope and/or attack the Centre.  
  
Take care Jarod. I will keep you in my thoughts when things get rough and keep me in your prayers. All my love - Lily.  
  
Jarod took the letter in his hands and crumbled it up. He threw it across the plane.  
  
Parker, who had been reading her own letter from Lily, looked up and saw Jarod throw the letter. She knew from her own letter that Lily had sacrificed herself to Raines and that now Jarod knew Lily's intentions. She got up from her seat and went to pick up the letter that Jarod had thrown. Parker planted herself in front of Jarod. "I think after you calm down you're going to want to keep this." Parker straightened out the paper and handed it back to Jarod. "Can I sit here?" Parker pointed to the seat next to Jarod.  
  
Jarod nodded his head yes.  
  
"I know you are really angry right now, but we're not the enemy."  
  
Jarod looked straight ahead and a scowl came across his face. "No. Raines is. At least according to Lily. Did you tell her she had to know her enemy in order to succeed?"  
  
"No. The only I time I talked to her about Raines were the times we were together? Why?"  
  
"Lily said that someone close to both of us told her that in order for her to succeed she had to know her enemy. It's why she let herself be captured. If it's not you, then whom is she talking about?" Jarod shook his head in frustration.  
  
"I don't know Jarod. Her letter to me told me that I was Angel's Hope future now and to make sure that you were all right. She also said that I needed to let you go. That you and Becky had a mission of your own and that I shouldn't interfere. She's sending you back to the Centre isn't she?" Parker looked concerned.  
  
Jarod shook his head yes. "She said that Becky would be able to communicate with Angelo. That it would be my decision whether it was safe enough to get her out. Or..." Jarod bit back the tears again. "Or to leave her there. I can't do it Parker. I can't leave her there."  
  
Parker brought Jarod's head down to her shoulder. She was charting unknown territory, but she knew that she had to find a way to comfort him. She brought her hand up to the side of his head and started stroking him. "Lily knows that there are casualties to any war. She knew that going in to this thing. For whatever reason, she feels that she has to face Raines."  
  
"Do you think Lyle will help her or did he escalate this whole thing?" Jarod asked allowing Parker to comfort him.  
  
"I think that he is confused right now. Whatever Lily has done has shot him to the core. Whatever emerges after that is anyone's guess. But he told her to fight. So I can only hope that maybe Bobby is in there somewhere."  
  
Jarod brought his head up and looked into Parkers eyes. He bent down and kissed her. "I'm sorry for before. I was just..."  
  
Parker put her finger onto his lips. "Already forgiven. Now lets figure out how to get Lily out of there."  
  
**************************  
  
Cox unlocked Tom out of the cuffs. "You let a little girl over take you. Tsk, tsk, tsk." Cox shook his finger back and forth. "Maybe the Centre doesn't have the best of the best after all." Cox said as he strode past Raines.  
  
Tom stood up and addressed Raines. "Sir. I'm sorry. She took me by surprise. I..." The Sweeper tried to make excuses. Other Sweepers had started to come onto the roof. Willie came up behind Raines.  
  
"Enough. Of course she over powered you, she's one of my children." He motioned Tom toward Lily. "Get her into the car." Raines pulled his oxygen tank over to Lyle. "Willie. Get him into the car too." Raines leaned down. "We're going to have a long discussion all the way back to the Centre."  
  
Lyle whispered. "I'll be there with bells on." Willie grabbed him from behind. The pain in Lyle's side exploded. "Ahhhhh." He yelped.  
  
Raines turned. "Cox. Look at him. Get him ready to travel."  
  
Cox went over to Lyle and poked him in the ribs. "Ahhh. You son of a bitch." Lyle found his voice and screamed.  
  
"A few broken ribs Mr. Lyle. Tsk, tsk. Maybe we shouldn't believe that we are an eagle capable of flight." Cox opened a bag he had brought and pulled out tape. He opened Lyle's shirt and started taping his ribs. "Beautiful creatures - eagles are. Beautiful like that young woman being dragged down the stairs. I'm sure that she will make as beautiful a trophy as one of my stuffed masterpieces. Hope you don't have a punctured lung. It would be a shame to lose you mid-flight. This will have to do till we can get you back to the Centre." Cox meticulously put the items he had used back in the bag. "We have so many questions to ask you."  
  
"There's one thing you have to remember about eagles Cox." Lyle started. "When threatened, they will gouge your eyes out." Lyle was gasping for breath. Willie came up behind him to direct him to the door. "You better be careful." Willie pushed Lyle toward the door. Lyle whipped his head toward the man who backed off. He headed for the door. After climbing down the three flights of steps, Lyle finally reached the bottom. He went out the open door and a limo was waiting there for him.  
  
"Lyle." A voice screamed off to his side.  
  
Lyle turned in the direction of the voice and it was Sydney. "Sydney. How nice of you to make the party." Lyle had regained a little of his voice.  
  
"What's going on Lyle? I followed you from the hotel and then all havoc breaks loose. There are Sweepers everywhere."  
  
"What. Haven't you heard? We've caught our little prankster." Lyle motioned to inside the limo to an unconscious Lily. Lyle moved up closer to Sydney's ear and away from Willie's earshot. "She's Jarod's twin sister."  
  
Sydney stood there in shock. Sydney whispered back. "Jarod doesn't have a twin."  
  
"Remember. Anything's possible at - the Centre." Willie came up behind Lyle and directed him into the limo. Lyle looked into Sydney's eyes.  
  
Sydney looked into the limo and knew that Lyle was telling the truth. Because for the first time he saw fear in Lyle's eyes. Knew that somehow he was connected to her. That the secrets he had been harboring all these days were connected to this one person.  
  
Lyle got into the limo and moved over next to Lily. She was handcuffed and had her head tilted against the wall of the limo. He moved a piece of her bang that had fallen into her face. "I'm so sorry." He went to reposition her, when Raines and Cox came into the limo.  
  
"Seems Sydney has joined us as well. I told him he could meet us at the airport. That the second limo would be taking him." Raines wheezed out. He was watching Lyle's moves.  
  
Lyle moved to the other side of the seat and positioned himself so that his ribs were supported by it.  
  
The limo ride to the airport went uneventful. Lyle sat quietly in his seat, periodically stealing sideways glances at Lily. She had stirred a few times, but hadn't regained consciousness. Raines and Cox were speaking in low tones so that Lyle could only pick up a word here and there. They reached the airstrip and the limo pulled up next to the plane.  
  
The door opened and Willie helped Raines out of the car. Cox followed Raines. The door next to Lily opened and Tom pulled her arm to get a hold of her.  
  
"Hey!" Lyle yelled. "Be gentle with her."  
  
Cox stuck his head back into the limo. "Is there a problem Mr. Lyle."  
  
Lyle looked at Lily, who Tom had under both arms and was dragging her out of the car, and then back at Cox. "She's a rare commodity. No reason to damage the goods. He needs to be more careful."  
  
Cox lifted his head out of the limo. "Tom. I think we can be a little more careful, don't you?"  
  
"Yes. Mr. Cox." Tom picked the woman up and went over to the steps of the plane. He was going up the steps as Lyle exited the limo. Wincing as he had to bend.  
  
Willie was escorting Raines onto the plane. They were followed by Cox, then Lyle. As Lyle was boarding the plane, a second limo pulled up. The Sweepers, then Sydney came out of the automobile. As Lyle entered the cabin, he could see Lily strapped into a seat at the back of the plane. The plane had a bar and seats scattered in groups all over the cabin. He went to go to the rear of the plane, when Willie stopped him.  
  
"And where do you think you are going Lyle?" Raines asked, having taken a seat halfway into the cabin.  
  
Lyle took his usual cocky stance. "With my prize. I found her."  
  
"But I caught her. Don't ever forget that." Cox reminded Lyle.  
  
"Will you ever let me?" Lyle pushed Willie out of the way and made his way to the back. He took a seat near Lily.  
  
As Lyle got seated, Sydney boarded the plane. He wanted to go straight to the back, but knew that it would be dangerous. He could see that Lyle had made his way back there somehow. He took a seat on the other side of the plane from Raines, but where he could see Lyle.  
  
The occupants of the plane fell silent as it taxied off the runway. Lily was on her way to the Centre.  
  
************************  
  
An heir and a spare. Need to become masters of the Game. But will they make it in time? Before sudden death. 


	40. Realizations at 20,000 feet

__

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans.

Angel's Hope

Written by scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com

Chapter 40: Realizations at 20,000 feet 

An heir and a spare.

Need to become masters of the Game. 

But will they make it in time?

Before sudden death.

*************************

As Lyle got seated, Sydney boarded the plane. He wanted to go straight to the back, but knew that it would be dangerous. He could see that Lyle had made his way back there somehow. He took a seat on the other side of the plane from Raines, but where he could see Lyle. 

The occupants of the plane fell silent as it taxied off the runway. Lily was on her way to the Centre. 

Lyle sat looking at Lily and trying to ignore the pain in his ribs. His breathing had gotten easier, so Lyle concluded that none of his ribs had been broken in the jump.

"Lyle. Can you join us over here?" Raines said from the front of the plane.

Lyle straightened himself a little and got up. He strode over to the bar and got himself a drink. After gulping the whiskey down, he went and sat across from Raines. Cox was seated on Raines left.

"Do you always consume your alcoholic beverages in such a manner? Some might say you have a drinking problem." Cox said coaxing Lyle into having an emotional outburst.

Lyle kept his cool. "Medicinal purposes only." He spat at Cox, then turned back to Raines. "What do you want _Dad_?"

"Do you want to tell me how you seemed to have found our friend over there and I didn't know about it?" Raines asked with anger in his tone. "That I had to be informed that a Centre jet was heading for California without my authorization."

"I didn't think I had to have _authorization_ for every lead that I came upon. It's my job to filter out the leads from the garbage for you. Isn't it? I had a lead, I investigated it. There was no reason to inform anyone if it turned out to be nothing." Lyle looked at Cox and stared him down. "_I_ am in charge"; Lyle looked back at Raines, "of finding Jarod by any means necessary. You informed me of that after Carthis - remember?" Lyle kept his best poker face.

"I want to know everything from now on Lyle. Everything. I'm in charge of the Centre. Remember that." Raines wheezed.

"How could I ever forget? Can I go now or are we going to have a group bonding session?" Lyle snapped back.

As Raines and Cox were busy with Lyle, Sydney walked to the back of the plane. Willie looked at Sydney. "Going to check her condition." Sydney explained. Willie looked back at the unconscious woman and nodded him through.

Sydney went over to Lily. He gently moved her head off her shoulder and looked at her face. He was trying to see some resemblance to Jarod. He opened her eyelid to see her pupils when he saw the most beautiful chestnut brown eye. "Oh no."

"I told you the truth." A voice came from behind Sydney.

Sydney spun to see Lyle standing behind him. "Jarod's sister?" Sydney said in a soft tone.

"Twin sister. Seems I wasn't the only one that Raines played abduction with." Lyle had a hint of anger in his tone.

"How did you find out?" No one seemed to know who she was or where she came from."

Lyle sat next to Lily. He looked over at Willie, who had put headsets on. Raines and Cox were in some sort of heated discussion. "She found me. Contacted me when Raines wasn't around. I don't know what to do Sydney."

Sydney looked at Lyle. "You're trying to help her. What is all this about Lyle if you weren't catching her for Raines?"

"It's about old friendships and allegiances." Lyle paused as he thought about what he was about to reveal. "I care about her Sydney...I..." He couldn't bring himself to say anything further.

Sydney, who realized that Lyle was at some form of psychological breakthrough, didn't push. "We have to get her away from Raines."

"Easier said than done. She'll have Cox watching her every move. And mine. They are already suspicious and the smoke screen I've just blown at them I'm not sure worked.

Sydney noticed the difference in Lyle's demeanor. "What has happened to you Lyle? This behavior is not typical for you. Normally you would be torturing this woman for information and pleasure, not trying to get her away from Raines. What has happened to make you change so drastically?

Lyle looked over at Raines, who was still talking with Cox, and leaned over to Sydney. "There are chips in our heads." 

Sydney looked questioningly at Lyle. "Chips. In your head." 

"Don't look at me that way. I haven't flipped. She got in contact with me to tell me that there were devices implanted in us when we were children. Devices that stimulated anger and suppressed memories. I'm not sure just how."

Sydney sat back in her seat. "Suppressed memories. Is that why she is only coming forward now? How do you know she is telling you the truth? She could have gotten information about you from Jarod or Miss Parker."

"She knew things that Jarod would never have known. Things about my...I mean our childhood at the Centre. And I remembered being about five years old and having some sort of surgery."

Sydney looked suspiciously at Lyle. "You didn't grow up at the Centre Lyle. You grew up with the Bowman's."

Lyle got fidgety. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but you have to listen. If not for my sake, for hers." Lyle pulled out his medallion. "She gave me this. It's some sort of jamming device." Lyle pulled it over his head and handed it to Sydney. Sydney examined the medallion. "And ever since I started wearing it, I've been remembering things. I even went to the hospital and got a x-ray to check out this chip thing. They had never seen anything like it before." Lyle put his hand on the armrest next to Lily. "She is driving me crazy." Lyle's eyes locked onto Lily's face and his stern look softened.

Sydney looked over at Lily and saw Lyle's expression. "She grew up at the Centre? Where? How could I have not known?"

"I remember us being brought to SL27 when we were very young. We were going to see Raines at the NuGenesis clinic - which is how we met. Both our parents allowed Raines to take us to the Centre. He told my mother..."Lyle had a flash of Raines talking to Mrs. Bowman. He bent over and he held the side of his head. "That I was gifted and he had a facility for gifted children. That I needed to go there for testing." Lyle brought his head back up and shook off the pain. 

Sydney saw Lyle's pain and put his hand on his shoulder. "The memories cause pain?"

"Yes. Lily says that the device causes it." Lyle explained.

"Lily? Her name is Lily?"

"Yes. So what are we going to do?" Lyle began to ask, but then noticed Lily stirring. He shot a look over at Raines and then took her hand. He whispered. "Lily. Can you hear me?"

Sydney moved in front of the young lady. He lifted her wrist and took her pulse. He opened her eyelids again to see her pupils. "She'll be coming around very soon. Lily. Can you hear us? Are you all right?"

"Of course she is all right; she's just fine." Came Raines' voice from behind Sydney and Lyle. "Cox. Your sedative is wearing off."

Cox's black bag was at his feet. He pulled it over and opened it. He pulled out a bottle and reached back in for a hypodermic needle. He pulled the cap off the needle and stuck it in the bottle. He was pulling liquid into the syringe. He tapped it two or three times to get out the air bubbles.

Lyle spotted the needle and looked at Raines. "Do we have to make her into a pincushion? I may be able to pull some information out of her before we reach the Centre."

"Raines. How much of that medication has Cox given her? It could be dangerous to give her any more." Sydney added.

"She is none of your business Sydney. This is my concern. Your concern is finding Jarod." Raines wheezed back.

"From what I'm told, she is a possible way to find Jarod. I think I will need to speak to her." Sydney said smugly back.

Cox approached with the syringe. He pushed past Sydney and Lyle to put the injection in Lily's arm.

Lyle blocked his hand. "I said no more injections."

Cox pushed Lyle back out of the way and brought his hand with the needle up towards Lyle. "Maybe I should give this to you? You seem to be having a problem today."

"Enough" Raines yelled. "You two fight like children. Lyle - one wrong move out of her and you'll pay the price. Cox." Raines swung his head towards where they were sitting.

Cox backed away from Lily, bowed his head to Raines, and headed for his seat.

Raines looked at Lyle. "I want to know everything she says. Understood?"

Lyle stayed silent. Raines turned and walked back over to his seat. 

"Bastard." Lyle said as he turned toward Lily. She had begun to gain consciousness. "Lily? Lily?" He took her hand.

Lily's eyes fluttered. Her vision was blurry. She was disorientated and tried pushing the figures in front of her away. Her one hand was restricted somehow and someone was trying to hold the other.

Lyle tried catching her flailing arm. The other moved around in the cuff that was attached to the armrest. Lyle tried to soothe her. "Lily. It's OK. It's just me." He was trying to get into her line of vision.

Raines looked their way. "Is there a problem Lyle?"

"No. I can handle it." Lyle got back into Lily's line of vision. He gently took her face into his hands. "Lily, it's me. It's Lyle. Stay calm or they are going to knock you out again."

Lily tried focusing her eyes. "Bobby. Where am I?"

"On a jet heading back to the Centre." Lyle replied.

Lily looked away from Lyle and saw Sydney. Her mind was still foggy. "Jacob? Is that you?"

"Hello Lily. My name is Sydney. I'm Jacob's brother. Did you know my brother?"

"Sydney." Lily blinked a few times trying to clear her head of the fog. "Jarod told me about you. I remember now - the two of you are twins. And Jacob is dead."

"How did you know Jacob Lily?" Sydney asked his curiosity peaked.

Lily didn't answer. She knew that Sydney was part of the Centre, which made him the enemy right now.

Sydney picked up on the silence. "Well maybe later you'll feel more secure talking with me. I understand your hesitation. We'll talk more when you are ready. Jarod trusts me, maybe you will too." Sydney got up. "I'll leave the two of you alone." Sydney left the rear of the plane and took a seat on the other side of the plane from Raines and Cox.

Lyle looked at Lily. "What's wrong? You can trust Sydney. If there is anyone in this hellhole you can trust, it's Sydney. And he's right, Jarod does trust him."

Lily stayed quiet. She stared at Lyle with loathing in her eyes.

Lyle could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise. "OK. You have the right to be angry. But I didn't bring Raines. I swear to you. He found out that I took the Centre jet and followed me."

Lily remembered something that Catherine had told her as a child. The eyes are the windows to the soul. Lily saw sincerity in his eyes. "I don't know if I can trust you. Everything that I've been told about you has come true, so why should I think you've changed?"

"You must have already trusted me somewhat. You didn't leave me to die on that rooftop."

"I don't know what to believe. Bobby...Lyle...Who are you?" Lily questioned; waiting for an answer that would tell her if he were telling her the truth.

Lyle frowned. "I can't tell you. I don't know who I am. I've always been so confidant of who I am. I'm sure Parker told you that. But the last couple of days have changed that. You've changed that. I'm not so sure who I am anymore."

It was the answer Lily was waiting for. The question that all of them had in common. Jarod, Parker, Lily, and Lyle - Who am I? "Well maybe we can figure it out together. How many people are on the plane?"

Lyle mentally counted. Then he said it out loud. "Raines, Cox, Sydney...you and me.... and four Sweepers. Why? What are you planning?"

"I always try to calculate my position. Keeps me on my toes."

Raines has already ordered that if you try anything it's lights out again. And I'm responsible for your actions." Lyle saw a twinkle in Lily's eyes. "What are we going to do?"

"You're not going to do anything but give me a pen and paper. Then go get me a drink. I'm awfully thirsty."

Lyle went to a desk piece and opened the drawer. He pulled out Centre stationary and a clip pen. He walked back over to where Lily was sitting. He put the pen and paper next to her on the seat. He said in a low tone. "I hope you know how to fly a plane." Then he said in a louder voice. "I'll get you a glass of water. Maybe then you'll be more cooperative." Lyle walked toward the bar.

Raines pulled Lyle over. "Well, is she telling you anything?"

"Not unless you want to know how many explanative words one young woman knows." Raines let out an angered sigh.

Lily watched as Lyle distracted Raines and blocked his view of her seat. Lily took the pen and pulled the clip off the front. She played with the handcuff lock, wiggling the piece of metal back and forth. Finally she felt the lock click and opened the cuff. She pulled her wrist free and looked at the men in the cabin. Raines and the man she recognized as knocking her down, Sydney across from them, a Sweeper in front of her, and three more in the cabin. She looked around for something to use to disable the Sweeper. On the chair across from her was a folded blanket. She grabbed the blanket and she jumped out of her seat.

She pulled the blanket over Willie's head (who still had the headsets on). He was startled, Lily twisted the blanket and pulled. She then hit the man in the neck with a swift movement of her hand. He slumped in the chair.

Raines started yelling and two Sweepers jumped into action. One who had been seated behind Raines and one from near Sydney. Lily jumped into the air, almost hitting her head on the ceiling, and kicked out sideways at both of the men. Her feet landed on their chests, knocking the wind out of them and sending them flying.

"Get her you idiot." Raines yelled to Cox, who had pulled the hypodermic out of his pocket.

Lily whipped her head to the side. She could feel the anger building inside and taking control. She kicked sideways knocking the needle out of his hands and sending it flying. The third Sweeper came at her from the opposite side pinning her against a coffee table. Cox went scrambling under the seats in search of the needle. 

Lily hit the Sweeper in the stomach, loosening his grip. She grabbed his arms and used them as leverage. She jumped straight up onto the table. She kicked the Sweeper with her foot in the left pectoral area, sending him flying sideways in a spin.

Sydney sat watching the woman and analyzing her moves. It amused him that Jarod's sister was as well versed in escape as he was. But he also saw an uncontrollable anger emerging.

Lyle had moved behind the set of seat Raines occupied and was smiling.

Lily jumped off the table and faced Raines. "So you are the mighty Dr. Raines. Jarod and Miss Parker have told me so much about you. But you look so small, not a King at all. It's a verse from one of a million strings of music in my head. Stuff you pumped in there." She moved closer to Raines, as if she were going to attack him. 

Lyle's smile turned to confusion. Lily was talking to Raines, verses disabling everyone in the plane.

Lily came and stood in front of Raines. "I want answers."

Raines looked at her with this sinister smile. "So do I. But I don't think either of us is going to get them right this moment."

Cox came up under the seats and jabbed the needle into Lily's leg.

"Ahhhhhh!" Lily screamed as she knocked it out and stamped on Cox's hand. She stumbled backwards. Trying to fight the medication.

Lyle ran around the seats and grabbed her as her legs buckled. The fire of the anger was dissipating. He whispered. "Why? I warned you." She went limp in his arms.

Raines stood up. "Now I deal with you."

__

************************

To manage the Game

Is to manage the wills around it. 

Some Players play to the beat of their own drum.

Will it destroy them?

This is my first try at my own storyline. I would love to hear feedback. Please e-mail me at scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com. 

Colleen


	41. Captive Resolution

__

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans.

****

Angel's Hope

Written by scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com

Chapter 41: Captive Resolution

To manage the Game

Is to manage the wills around it. 

Some Players play to the beat of their own drum.

Will it destroy them?

*************************

Lily jumped off the table and faced Raines. "So you are the mighty Dr. Raines. Jarod and Miss Parker have told me so much about you. But you look so small, not a King at all. It's a verse from one of a million strings of music in my head. Stuff you pumped in there." She moved closer to Raines, as if she were going to attack him. 

Lyle's smile turned to confusion. Lily was talking to Raines, verses disabling everyone in the plane.

Lily came and stood in front of Raines. "I want answers."

Raines looked at her with a sinister smile. "So do I. But I don't think either of us is going to get them right at this moment."

Cox came up under the seats and jabbed the needle into Lily's leg.

"Ahhhhhh!" Lily screamed as she knocked it out and stamped on Cox's hand. She stumbled backwards. Trying to fight the medication.

Lyle ran around the seats and grabbed her as her legs buckled. The fire of the anger was dissipating. He whispered. "Why? I warned you." She went limp in his arms.

Raines stood up. "Now I deal with you. I don't know what is going on Lyle, but we're going to find out." The two Sweepers Lily had knocked down first got up. "Take her and lock _both_ hands to the chair." The Sweepers grabbed Lily out of Lyle's arms. 

Cox got up holding his left hand. "I think she broke my hand."

"You're lucky she didn't do more than that." Lyle spat.

The other Sweeper came up behind Lyle. Raines got up from his chair. "You have been acting different Lyle. Can it be that your loyalties to the Centre are in question? Or is it just your loyalties to me? Have you seen this woman before today?"

Lyle put his best poker face on. "I have always been loyal to the Centre and to you." Lyle started advancing at Raines. "I have spent my whole life serving the Centre, doing what has been ordered by the Tower, and have spent the last five years bowing down to you and Mr. Parker."

Sydney got up and grabbed Lyle's shoulder. "I think we should all calm down before something is done that we might regret later."

Lyle understood what Sydney was saying and backed away from Raines. He took deep breaths trying to calm down. He could see that Ray had handcuffed Lily to the seat. He wanted to go to her, but knew he couldn't.

Raines spotted Lyle's gaze. "Do you have feelings for this woman?"

Lyle turned in Raines direction. "I have feelings for no one. Emotion is a liability - you taught me that."

Raines shot a look at Cox and then waved his head at Lyle for the Sweeper. Tom grabbed Lyle's arms and brought them behind his back. Ray came from locking Lily up and stood in front of Sydney. Cox was back in his black bag. He pulled out the bottle and another syringe.

"What the hell are you doing? Let go of me!" Lyle yelled trying to free himself from Tom. "That's an order!"

Raines pushed himself up from his chair and dragging his oxygen tank stood next to Lyle. "What else are you remembering Lyle?"

Lyle stopped struggling the minute he realized what he had done. He closed his eyes and shook his head in disgust for slipping up on his words.

"I think we will be having some sessions when we get back to the Centre." Raines was furious. He turned to Cox. "Years of conditioning jeopardized."

Lyle's anger returned. "Is that all I am to you? A subject. An experiment. I could kill you where you stand!" Lyle tried pulling his arms out of the Sweepers grip. Ray pulled his 9mm. 

Raines tipped his head toward Lyle. "Seems my children are getting out of hand. Silence him."

Cox smiled and grabbed Lyle's shirtsleeve. He opened the cuff and rolled up the sleeve exposing the muscle of Lyle's arm. He was taking great pleasure in carrying out his orders.

Lyle shot him a look. "Get away from me!"

Cox got a bigger smile. "I don't think you're giving the orders any more Mr. Lyle." Lyle started struggling. "Hold him. We wouldn't want him dying from an air bubble." Cox, with great force, plunged the needle into Lyle's arm.

"You son of a bitch. I'm going to get you...that's a promise...I'm... going... to kill...you..." Lyle's speech started slurring and then his knees buckled.

The Sweeper caught him under the arms as Lyle collapsed. 

"Lock him next to her." Raines ordered. He looked over at Sydney. "Do you have a problem Sydney?"

"No. But I think you will." Sydney went back to his seat.

Raines went back to his seat with Cox following behind. Raines pulled his cell phone out and dialed. "Mr. Klos. It's time. Mr. Cox is with me and has apprehended our problem. I want you to retrieve subject 684." Raines listened for a moment. "If Mr. Broots gets in your way, then eliminate him." Raines closed the phone. "Done. Now what to do about our friends over there." Raines and Cox started to discuss Lyle and Lily's futures. 

************************

As the plane taxied to a stop, Joan and Becky stood anxiously waiting for the occupants. As the doors opened and the steps hit the tarmac, Joan could see Jarod and Parker in the doorway. Jarod looked tired and upset. Parker was there being his rock. At that moment, she saw Catherine in Miss Parker.

Becky walked forward to greet Jarod and Miss Parker. "How are you holding up?" Becky asked Jarod already knowing what she was feeling off him.

"I'm all right. How about you? Are you doing OK?" Jarod asked putting his arm around her. The group approached Joan. "Dr. Stedman. I'm sorry, we lost her..."

"I know Jarod. Lily was always a free will. There was no way to anticipate this move." Stedman reassured him.

"We have a lot of work to do. I need my bag that was confiscated and..." Jarod started, but was interrupted.

"Yes. I know that there is a lot to do Jarod, but I believe you need some rest first. Both of you. It's been a rough twenty four hours." Dr. Stedman said as they entered Angel's Hope.

"No, I'm fine. I want to get right to it. We have a lot of work to do. If you can have the jet ready, then we can..."

"The jet will be ready in the morning. I don't need you getting yourself captured because you are exhausted. Think about Lily. You need to be at your prime." Stedman went to walk to the elevator.

"Dr. Stedman please. We need to move as fast as possible. You don't know what they will do to her. We have to get her now." Jarod pleaded.

Dr. Stedman stopped Jarod. "Jarod. I know you are upset and concerned, we all are, but I have to look at the whole picture. And the whole picture is that I need my operatives sharp. You said that you wanted to be a part of this organization, then you report to me. You can't be sharp with zero sleep. So get some rest - that's an order."

"But..." Jarod started.

"Sleep. Order. Final." Dr. Stedman started to walk away. She mumbled to herself. "Like sister, like brother." She was shaking her head as she entered the elevator.

Jarod looked at Parker. "I don't understand her. How can she be so calm? Lily is on her way to the Centre and she's acting as if she were visiting a friend."

"She has everyone to worry about Jarod, not just Lily." Becky said coming up from behind Jarod. "She got a letter, just like I suppose the two of you did. I heard her crying. Lily is like her daughter. But as the head of this facility, she has to remain calm and collected."

"When Lily did this she declared war on the Centre." Parker added. "And if Raines can break her, that war will be coming right to our doorsteps." Parker grabbed her head. "This is such a mess. Why didn't she tell anyone?"

Jarod already knew Lily's answer to that question. "Because we wouldn't have let her go."

"I think Dr. Stedman is right, we need to get some rest. Then we can start fresh in the morning." Parker started pulling Jarod towards the elevator.

Becky pushed the button. The elevator pinged and the doors opened. The group got in, pushed the quarter's floor button, and it started with a slight jerk. Jarod leaned up against the elevator wall with Parker against his chest. When the elevator doors opened, Morris and Fred were standing there.

"Welcome back Miss Parker, Jarod. We are so sorry to hear about Miss Lily." Greeted Morris.

"Thank you Morris. But we will be getting her back soon." Jarod replied heading for his room door.

"If anyone can get her back, the three of you can." The guard added with reassurance.

The group reached Jarod's room. Fred opened the door for them. Jarod turned to the guard. "We will be talking for a few moments."

Fred went to say something, but Parker cut him off.

"I know - sleep, orders. But we won't be very long." She looked at Morris who acknowledged her request with a nod to the door. "Thank you Morris."

Becky and Parker entered the room and turned on the light. Jarod followed them. "I want to contact Angelo tonight Becky." Jarod asked as soon as the door was closed.

"I figured as much. I know you won't get an ounce of sleep until this is done. She has to have at least one person on her side." Becky motioned for the bed. "So please - sit down. Now I need you to concentrate on Angelo...and relax."

Jarod came and sat on the edge of the bed across from where Becky had taken a seat. She outstretched her hands for Jarod. Jarod placed his hands in hers. Parker dimmed the lights and pulled up a chair next to them. 

The connection was almost instantaneous. Becky could see Angelo working on a drawing. "Angelo. Can you hear me?"

At the Centre, Angelo heard the voice he had heard before. He looked around the room. He opened his desk drawer and pulled on the fake drawer back. Sitting behind it was a small square black box with buttons. He pushed the one button and the cameras in his room went into a loop. Angelo got up from his desk and looked around. "Sister?"

"Yes. Angelo. It's Becky, your sister. I'm here with Jarod and Miss Parker. We need your help."

"I will always help Jarod." Angelo replied gleeful to hear Jarod's name. He crawled onto his bed and sat with his legs crossed in front of him.

"Angelo. Someone close to us is being brought to the Centre. Her name is Lily. Do you remember Lily?"

Angelo got excited. "Lily is my friend. She went away with Mrs. Parker and Jacob."

"Yes, Angelo, she did. But Mr. Raines has captured her and he's bringing her back to the Centre."

"No." Angelo's face became distorted with hatred. "Raines hates her. Wouldn't do what he said. He wants to hurt her."

Becky sighed with relief. "Yes, Angelo. You understand. He will hurt her again. Like he did before."

"Hurt Lily." Angelo said in a low voice. He slid off the bed and slipped onto the floor. "Miss Parker and Bobby too. And me. He hurt us all."

"Yes he did Angelo. He hurt you all. We need your help Angelo. Lily needs your help. Needs you to watch over her, protect her when she needs it."

"I can protect Lily." Angelo smiled.

"Angelo. There is something else you need to know. Lily is Jarod's twin sister. Like you and me. Miss Parker and Bobby."

"Lyle." Angelo's demeanor changed again. "Mr. Lyle doesn't like me."

"We don't know about him Angelo. He is remembering the past. That's what Lily was trying to find out about him. If he can remember Bobby."

"Left Bobby behind. Lily was sad." Angelo remembered.

"Yes she was. That's why she needs you to watch over her. She's remembering things too." Becky was looking drained. "Angelo. I have to go. I will contact you soon. If you need me, go to Lily and hold her hands. It will connect us again."

"Hold Lily's hands and I'll hear you." Angelo repeated.

"Yes Angelo. Thank you. Goodbye." Becky let go of Jarod's hands. "I hope he understands enough to help."

"I think he understands more than anyone has ever given him credit for." Parker added.

Becky got up from the bed. "Well I think I better follow Joan's advice and let the two of you get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." When Becky went to take a step, she swayed.

Parker grabbed a hold of her two arms. Becky steadied herself and got a strange look on her face. "Becky. Is something wrong?"

Becky's face turned to a smile. "I was just a little dizzy from everything, but I am fine. I'm going to go so you can get some rest." She turned to Jarod. "Make _sure _she gets enough sleep tonight." Becky continued to the door, opened it, and slipped out.

Parker looked at the door with confusement. "What was that all about? People here need to get out more." She turned back to see Jarod sitting on the bed with his hands up over his eyes. Parker went to sit next to him. She put her arm around him. "She'll be all right. She knows how to take care of herself. And I know my telling you that isn't going to help either. You're stubborn." Parker gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Loyal." She took her soft hand and gently raised his face to kiss his lips.

"Parker." Jarod tried to resist.

"United we stand, divided we fall." Parker deepened the kiss. She could feel him relax a little. She pushed his body with hers till he was laying on the bed. She smiled down at him. "Now get some sleep." Parker got up off of Jarod and backed off the bed.

Jarod sat up on his elbows. "Will you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone."

Parker nodded and laid back down on the bed, her curves fitting into his perfectly. Jarod put his arm around her so that his hand rested on the nook of her back. He pulled her close. He could smell the lingering perfume she had put on that morning. He pressed his lips to hers. She responded by pulling herself more into him.

"Thank you." Jarod whispered.

"For what?" Parker whispered back.

"For being you. Being here with me - against all odds." Jarod kissed her again.

'I'm here for you always." Parker responded. The two spent the rest of the night intertwined in each other. 

__

************************

Confrontations and Resolutions

Compliances and Revolutions. 

Some Players maneuver to win or lose.

Some just try to stay in the Game.

This is my first try at my own storyline. I would love to hear feedback. Please e-mail me at scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com. 

Colleen


	42. Cause and Effect

__

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans.

****

Angel's Hope

Written by scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com

Chapter 42: Cause and Effect

Confrontations and Resolutions

Compliances and Revolutions. 

Some Players maneuver to win or lose.

Some just try to stay in the Game.

*************************

Parker nodded and laid back down on the bed, her curves fitting into his perfectly. Jarod put his arm around her so that his hand rested on the nook of her back. He pulled her close. He could smell the lingering perfume she had put on that morning. He pressed his lips to hers. She responded by pulling herself more into him.

"Thank you." Jarod whispered.

"For what?" Parker whispered back.

"For being you. Being here with me - against all odds." Jarod kissed her again.

'I'm here for you always." Parker responded. The two spent the rest of the night intertwined in each other. 

The next day, Jarod's eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw was Parker's beautiful face lying on the pillow next to him. His chestnut brown eyes sparkled at the serene look on her face; she looked like an angel. An angel untouched by the horrible events that had encompassed their lives. For that moment - all was right with the world. 

Then he remembered the horrors of the day before. How he had watched his sister fall prey to Raines. How strange it still felt calling her that and how natural it felt at the same time. Jarod rolled onto his back. Parker was right, everything was a mess. A mess he was going to have to correct. 

Jarod slipped out from under the covers and quietly opened the dresser drawers. He pulled out a black long sleeved t-shirt and black jeans. He slipped into the bathroom and started the shower.

Parker rolled over and awoke as she realized Jarod was no longer next to her. She heard the shower running and smiled. The thought of his gorgeous body glistening in the water.... She thought for a moment of joining him, but she knew that today was not a day to distract his focus. She also had her new role to begin. Whether by her mother's legacy or Lily's judgment, Parker was now in control of Omega Team. That meant she too had a mission - to keep her mother's facility safe. Too many times she had looked the other way in her youth. But now she knew what her mother had fought for - the children. 

She got out of bed and pulled on her clothes. She picked up a pencil and paper on the desk. She wrote Jarod a quick note and placed it on the pillow. Parker went to the door and opened it to leave. Standing outside was Morris and Fred. "Don't you guys ever sleep?"

"Only when you do Miss Parker." Morris smiled.

"I like you." Parker said as she passed by the guard heading for her room. Morris followed at a respectful distance. 

Jarod came out of the bathroom dressed and was towel drying his hair. He looked over at the rumbled bed and saw that Parker was gone. He saw the piece of paper and went over to the bed to retrieve it. He slipped open the note and read.

Jarod,

I love you! (Wanted to start your day with a smile) 

Have gone to freshen up. Will meet you upstairs for

breakfast.

MCP

A glimmer came into Jarod's eyes. It was the first time he had seen her use her full initials since they were children. He remembered a time when she sneaked in a note with Angelo. It had told him where to meet her. She had signed it MCP. But then her mother died and everything changed. This was a good sign. He was ready to start the day.

*********************

Lily could hear muffled voices and tried to open her eyes. It felt as if lead weights were on them. As she fought to slowly open her eyelids, she felt people touching her arms and that something was attached to her head. Every word and movement around her was distorted. She tried concentrating on their conversation.

"Dr. Myers the patient is regaining consciousness." The nurse checked Lily's vital signs.

Lily slowly turned her head to view the room. She could feel the tug of electrodes coming off her forehead and her temples. The room was shiny white with a large operating room light fixture above her. The light hurt her eyes, making her squint. There was medical equipment all around her. An IV hung to her left side and went into her left arm. She could feel the sting of the catheter in her arm. Lily tried to move her hands, but she could feel leather strap restraints around her wrists.

"That's not possible nurse. I have her on Twilight medication." The doctor came and saw that Lily's eyes were open, but glassy. "Good morning. Remarkable woman, resistant to anesthetic. But it does make you very relaxed, doesn't it Lily. If that is who you are."

Lily saw a man standing next to her in a lab coat. She assumed the doctor in charge. There were other nursing staff and technicians moving about the room. Lily cleared her dry throat and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Bite me." Lily saw the doctor look at one of the monitors.

He turned to someone behind him. "I am unable to determine whether the chip is functioning fully. There seems to be a newly healed scar, which would indicate recent surgery. But her attitude would dictate that it is functioning on some level. Whoever tampered with it may have started the memory sequencing."

Lily closed her eyes to try and clear her mind. When she opened them, she could see whom the doctor had been talking to.

Raines stood next to Lily now. Peering down at her past the oxygen hose coming out of his nose. "Someone has tampered with my chip?"

"I can't determine it now. I will have to do a MRI scan." The doctor replied.

"Do what you have to. I need answers. Have the DNA tests been done?" Raines wheezed in between words.

"Yes. The minute she arrived. We're matching her blood against the samples we had in storage for Lily and Jarod."

Lily tried to gather her strength and pulled her arms up trying to reach Raines. "You son of a bitch." The straps held her down. She could also now feel straps across her chest and legs.

Raines smiled. "Still trying to attain the unattainable. Save your strength Lily. You have more strenuous tests ahead of you. And unlike our doctor friend here, I know you are who you are. One of my lost ones comes home." Raines turned to Dr. Myers. "What is the status on Lyle?"

"There are irregular readings coming from him. I can't determine what is causing the abnormality. We checked him for recent signs of surgery, but he only has the healed original scar."

"Find out what is causing that abnormality, no matter what you have to do. If there is a malfunction in the chip that has activated their memories, it may mean a more serious problem with the others."

"Leave him alone Raines." Lily tried freeing herself again. "It's me you want."

"You're wrong my dear. I want all of you. Once you tell me where Jarod and Miss Parker are, then all my children will be together." Raines hovered over her. "And together we will make history."

"I am not your child. And I will never tell you where Jarod or Miss Parker is." Lily hissed looking away from Raines.

"We'll see." Raines replied with a sinister smile. "Things have changed since you left the Centre."

Lily brought her head back to look at Raines. "So have I."

Dr. Myers came back into view. "Mr. Raines. We need to move her now for the MRI."

"Make sure she can't escape. If the tests confirm what I believe, then she is invaluable." Raines turned and left.

Lily could see the doctor adjusting the medication drip on the IV and she dropped back into unconsciousness.

**************************

Parker had showered and changed. She ran her hands through her long hair and fluffed it. She had chosen one of the black mini skirts and white blouses that the staff had provided at her request. She was happy that they had been able to accommodate her taste in clothes. She had always held that her image helped her persona of authority.

She headed off for breakfast. She was unusually hungry this morning. Eggs and bacon sounded good. And sausage. Maybe a pancake. How could she be thinking of food right now, ran through her mind. She got to the dining room and Morris held the door open for her.

Jarod was already sitting at the table with Becky across from him. Veronica, Joel, Max, and Matt were at the far end. Jarod got up as Parker entered the room. 

"Good morning." Parker said as she came in and sat down.

"There is a buffet today." Becky commented pointing to the end of the room. "I hope you have more of an appetite than Jarod here."

"Thank you. I'm starved." Parker said getting back up and heading for the buffet.

"I'm sure you are." Becky said with a smile.

A gentleman came into the room via the door that led to the kitchen. "Coffee black as usual Miss Parker?"

"No!" Becky said before Parker could answer. "No coffee - have juice."

Parker looked at Becky. "Have much caffeine yourself this morning?"

"That's the whole thing. No caffeine for you today. If anything, have decaf. It's an important day and we don't need to be hyped up with all that nasty caffeine." Becky smiled.

Parker just looked at Becky with her plate of food in her hand. "OK Mary Poppins. I'll have decaf and I think so should you. Or maybe a tranquilizer."

"Parker." Jarod said looking annoyed.

Parker squinted her eyes at Jarod and sat down next to him. "So what is the plan for the day?"

"Becky and I were just discussing that. We were going to leave for Blue Cove after breakfast." Jarod said trying to read her expression.

Parker nodded. "I'll get things ready here." Parker paused. "I'm going to ask Dr. Stedman to bring Debbie here."

Jarod looked up from his plate. "You can try, but I don't think she will let you. Let alone bring Broots here."

"I wasn't talking about bringing Broots." Parker said as she put a fork full of eggs in her mouth.

"Take Debbie away from Broots? He'll go nuts if she just disappears." Jarod was concerned for the man he had helped to get custody of his daughter.

"We can tell him that we have her for her own safety. He trusts us Jarod. I know Dr. Stedman won't let both of them come. We have to protect her."

"Protect whom?" The group turned to see Dr. Stedman to come into the dining room.

"Debbie Broots. Before you say anything, hear me out. I want to bring her here." Parker started. "Now that Raines has Lily, he will pursue Debbie. I know him." Parker got up from the table and went to Stedman. "Please let me bring her here. Isn't our mission to protect the children from the Centre? My mother would bring her here."

"You feel so strongly that she is in danger?" Stedman asked.

"Yes. Everything we found in Mom's office and the e-mail Jarod received from Angelo just confirms it." Parker had passion in her voice.

"Veronica. Is there a reasonable plan for retrieval?" Stedman asked the young woman who had up to this part had mostly ignored the conversation.

"I have a team on standby that Lily assembled and put in place. They have mapped out the Broots home. It just depends on whether the subjects are aware of their retrieval or not."

"At what level can we trust Miss Broots' father?" Dr. Stedman asked as she got herself some breakfast.

"He would die for her." Jarod responded.

"Broots would hand over the Centre if it meant keeping Debbie safe. I know - he's stood up to me when it came to Debbie. Not a small feat for the lovable computer geek." Parker added.

Now it was Dr. Stedman's turn to look at Parker. "You'll have to explain that one to me later. Though the intellectual part of me says bringing another member of the Centre's team here is insane, the part of me that helped Catherine says bring Debbie Broots here, with her father. So go ahead, bring them here."

"Thank you Dr. Stedman." Parker was elated at having Debbie come to Angel's Hope.

"Why don't you call me Joan."

Parker sat stunned for a moment. "Thank you...Joan."

"Good. Veronica, can you please contact your team for retrieval?"

"Sure thing." Veronica threw down her napkin. "One Miss Broots coming up." Veronica left the room to make the arrangements.

Joan took a sip of the tea she had been brought. "Peculiar girl, but efficient. Jarod, have you determined what your next course of action will be?"

"To return to Blue Cove and the Centre." Jarod said as everyone in the room looked at him.

************************

Broots awoke when he heard a noise in the house. He got caught in the sheets and fell out of bed trying to get up. As he tried to get to his feet, he heard shuffling. He grabbed his robe at the foot of the bed; burglars wouldn't be very intimidated by his Scooby Doo boxer shorts.

Broots looked around the bedroom for something to use as a weapon. The only thing he could see was the fish net from his fish tank. He ran over to the dresser and grabbed the net. He crept to the door and opened it slightly.

With fish net ready, Broots stuck his head out into the hall and looked up and down. He heard movement of furniture in the living room and a muffled cry. Broots dropped the fish net as one thought hit him - Debbie.

Broots ran into the living room and could see two men dragging Debbie towards the front door. She had a rag in her mouth and was fighting the two men. "Let her go!" Broots screamed as he ran towards his daughter's kidnappers.

The one figure raised a gun and fired. Broots, seeing the gun drawn, hit the floor.

Debbie got loose enough that the rag fell out of her mouth. "Daddy! Help me! Please don't let them take me away!"

Broots scrambled to get behind the couch. His gun was in the hutch, but there were no bullets in it. He crawled down behind the couch and looked for a weapon to use. The two men dragged Debbie out the front door. Broots saw the pole lamp standing next to him and grabbed the plug, yanked, and ran.

The men were now dragging the struggling teenager across the lawn.

Broots ran out of the house wielding the lamp. "Let her go! Debbie honey I'm coming."

The figure brought up the gun again, but a gunshot came soaring from the right. Two men in black jumpsuits approached the group on the lawn with guns drawn. "Let the girl go!" One of the men ordered.

"I don't think so." The figure fired at the two men. Both dropped to the ground.

Broots rushed to try and grab Debbie in the confusion. The figure with the gun turned and shot Broots as he approached. Broots went flying backwards and hit his head on a rock.

Debbie's eyes grew wide with terror. "Daddy! Daddy! No! Let me go!" The two men carried her, in front of them as a shield, to a waiting sedan and pushed her in.

The two men in the jumpsuits left on the lawn sprung to their feet and chased the car firing shots at the tires. The car sped off into the early morning light.

One man ran from the street to Broots, who was lying on the lawn. The other ran to their vehicle, popped the trunk, and grabbed the first aid kit. He ran back up to Broots. The man was holding pressure on the wound. The other started getting supplies out.

"It went straight through his shoulder. He's lucky."

"We have to get him medical attention." The second man said dressing the wound. 

When they were done, the first man pulled out his phone. "It's me. We lost the girl, we were too late. Mr. Broots has been shot. We are taking him to a secure facility for treatment and then we'll bring him in. Yes Ma'am." He shut the phone. "We are ordered to bring him back to base now. We'll get the doctor to meet us at the airfield." The men lifted Mr. Broots and put him into their vehicle. They drove off with an unconscious and bleeding Broots in their back seat.

__

************************

The cause is the children.

The effect is in their lives.

The Players are gambling with high stakes.

The Game is very much alive.

This is my first try at my own storyline. I would love to hear feedback. Please e-mail me at scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com. 

Colleen


	43. Introductions to Madness

__

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans.

****

Angel's Hope

Written by scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com

Chapter 43: Introductions to Madness

The cause is the children.

The effect is in their lives.

The Players are gambling with high stakes.

The Game is very much alive.

*************************

One man ran from the street to Broots, who was lying on the lawn. The other ran to their vehicle, popped the trunk, and grabbed the first aid kit. He ran back up to Broots. The first man was holding pressure on the wound. The other started getting supplies out.

"It went straight through his shoulder. He's lucky."

"We have to get him medical attention." The second man said dressing the wound. 

When they were done, the first man pulled out his phone. "It's me. We lost the girl, we were too late. Mr. Broots has been shot. We are taking him to a secure facility for treatment and then we'll bring him in. Yes Ma'am." He shut the phone. "We are ordered to bring him back to base now. We'll get the doctor to meet us at the airfield." The men lifted Mr. Broots and put him into their vehicle. They drove off with an unconscious and bleeding Broots in their back seat.

The man in the passenger seat pulled out his phone. "Dr. Berez. It is Alex. An angel's only hope is if you meet us at the airfield." The driver could hear an acknowledgement from the woman on the phone. "Thank you Dr. Berez. It's a gunshot wound. Through the left shoulder. Yes. We're on our way. We'll meet you there." Alex hung up the phone.

The car pulled up to the airstrip. The plane was already waiting to leave. The two men got out of the car and pulled Broots carefully out. He was starting to regain consciousness.

Broots opened his eyes to find himself being carried cradle style toward a small airplane. There was a horrible pain in his left shoulder. Then he remembered the man firing at him. "Have...I...been shot?"

"Relax Mr. Broots. We'll take care of you." Alex said as they reached the steps of the plane.

Broots started wiggling out of the men's arms and winced in pain. "Take care of me. No. I won't let you hurt my little girl or me." The men let Broots down; who then grabbed his shoulder. "And I'm not getting on that plane."

The two men looked at Broots with confusion. "Mr. Broots, we're here to help you. I was told to tell you Miss Parker sent us."

Broots looked perplexed. "You're not from the Centre? Or are you?"

"No. We are not from the Centre. The two men who took your daughter were though."

"Why would the Centre want Debbie?" Broots asked as a dark blue Honda pulled up. A woman got out of the car. "Who is that? Who are you people? Are you the group that kidnapped Miss Parker? Then maybe the Centre took Debbie to protect her from you." Broots started getting dizzy. "I don't feel well." The men caught the lilting Broots.

"Dr. Berez. I think he is losing a lot of blood and is going into shock. I can't believe he is like this normally." Alex said.

"Let's get him on the plane and I can assess the wound. I'll need the supplies in my car. Set up the IV stand so I can hang the lactated ringers and blood."

"Yes Ma'am." Tim let go of Broots and headed for the doctor's car.

"I can't go anywhere. I have to find Debbie." Broots tried to walk away from the stairs.

"Sir. I can tell you from standing here and looking at you that if you don't get some medical attention now, you won't be around for your daughter. I have worked with this group for five years now. They helped put a crooked doctor who killed a little girl in jail. They got his license revoked, a jail term and restitution for her family. They would not harm you or your daughter unless you threatened them."

"Mr. Broots. We have a team going after Miss Broots. They will try their best to get her. Please allow us to help you now." Alex said as he scanned the airstrip. "There is nothing you could do alone, but get yourself killed."

"You said that Miss Parker sent you?" Broots asked now feeling like his knees were going to buckle and his body was shivering.

Alex took out his phone and dialed. "Ronnie. I don't think he believes me and is refusing to get on the plane." After a few moments, Alex handed the phone to Broots.

"Hello?" Broots cautiously asked into the phone.

"Broots. You moron. Get on the damn plane before you die on me." Parker yelled.

"Miss...Miss Parker?" Broots asked.

"Who do you think it is Broots, The Tooth Fairy? Now get your ass on the plane or I'll shoot you myself."

"But Miss Parker, Debbie was..."Broots began.

"I know Broots. I'm working on getting her back. But if you drop dead right there you are going to leave Debbie an orphan and a ward of the Centre. Do you want that?"

"No. I'll get on the plane." Broots heard a click on the other end. He went to give the phone back when his knees collapsed. Alex carried him under his good shoulder onto the plane. Dr. Berez and Tim followed with the supplies. The plane taxied off and headed for Angel's Hope.

************************

"You're not going to just walk into the Centre again, are you?" Parker asked going back to her seat. 

"Again?" Becky asked. "You've just walked into the Centre before?"

"Yes, out of necessity. I had to rescue my father. But I had leverage in that case." Jarod shot a look at Parker. "I've also been inside on other occasions." Jarod explained.

"And has Raines gone nuts trying to figure out how the hell you do it." Parker added. "It may not be so easy to get in this time."

"I know. I guess I'll have to rely partially on Angelo to feed me the information I'll need from the inside." Jarod kissed her forehead.

"Jarod. There's something that you need to know. Sydney, Broots, and I heard rumors that Raines was ordering large amounts of construction supplies. He may have been rebuilding..." Parker paused disgusted by the idea. "He may have been rebuilding SL27. We couldn't get a confirmation and security was so tight not even Sydney could get down there."

"From the ashes the evil will rise again." Jarod shook his head. "He took Lily there. To the seat of all her nightmares."

"I should have said something sooner, but never did I think Lily would willingly send herself to the Centre." Parker apologized.

"It wouldn't have mattered." Stedman interrupted. "She would have found a way to go anyway. Something is driving her towards Raines."

Veronica walked back into the room. "The team has been dispatched Dr. Stedman. And Miss Parker, I told the operatives to tell Mr. Broots that you sent them. To ease the transition."

"Thank you Veronica. Now we just sit and wait." Parker turned to Jarod. "Do you think this will scare Debbie very much? All this cloak and dagger." 

"A little, but when she gets here we'll explain everything. She's a very smart young lady, she'll understand." Jarod gave Parker a little hug of reassurance. "I feel sorry for Mr. Broots. He has tried so hard to keep the Centre out of Debbie's life."

"Jarod. If you tell me what items you will need, I'll make sure they are on the plane. My team is at your disposal." Veronica said as she took a seat closer to the main group.

"I'll just need my bag out of storage and the rest we can get there. And I'll need my computer. Parker, we'll need your access codes to the Centre."

"Why do you want my codes? Raines probably has already locked them out." Parker wondered why Jarod asked since he must have already figured this news out.

"That's the point. We're going to send the Sweepers on a wild goose chase. We'll access the main frame from like - Texas and they'll send the teams there." Jarod smiled and his chestnut brown eyes twinkled.

Parker kissed him. "That's why they call you the Genius."

Veronica's phone began to ring. She flipped it open. "Yeah." Veronica listened to her operative and then signaled to Miss Parker. "Miss Parker there's been trouble. My team was unable to get to Miss Broots; the Centre got to her first."

"Oh no Debbie." Jarod said getting up.

Veronica went back to her phone conversation. "No. Stabilize him and then get him to the plane. You don't know if more Centre personnel are in the area. Call in Berez. She'll help evaluate him."

"Stabilize who?" Parker asked concerned.

Veronica hung up the call. "I'm sorry. There was an exchange of gunfire and Mr. Broots got shot."

"Is he all right? Where was he hit?" Parker asked concerned.

"In the left shoulder. The team will stabilize him, but he is going to need further medical treatment. Alex will get Dr. Berez to come to the plane. That way she can take care of him in a secure environment."

"Thank you Veronica." Parker sat quiet, looking off into the distance.

"He'll be fine Parker." Jarod came back around her, putting his arms around her shoulders and pulling her in. "Where would the Centre take Debbie?"

Parker shook her head. "I'm not sure. Could be SL 27 at the Centre. Could be one of the half way houses. We'd have to get into the main frame to find out if there was anything in Raines' files."

"Well then Mr. Broots coming will help." Jarod knelt down next to her. "I don't want to sound unconcerned, but Becky and I should be getting ready to go."

Parker rose from her chair and hugged him. "I know. I can handle Broots. You be careful. OK?" She fully embraced him.

"I will. Can you set up the fake access point?" Jarod kissed her.

"I'll get one of the team on it. That sounds funny - my team." Parker smiled.

Her smile infected him. "Doesn't sound funny to me. Sounds like destiny."

Veronica's phone rang again. The people in the room turned to look at her. "Yeah." Veronica listened for a moment. "OK" Veronica pulled the phone away from her ear. "Mr. Broots won't get on the plane."

Parker's face frowned. "Give me the phone." Veronica handed her the phone over the table. "Give me Broots." After a few moments Parker spoke. "Broots. You moron. Get on the damn plane before you die on me." 

Jarod looked cross at Parker. "Parker."

Parker waved her hand in a slow shoo gesture. "Who do you think it is Broots, The Tooth Fairy? Now get your ass on the plane or I'll shoot you myself." Parker's features softened a little. "I know Broots. I'm working on getting her back. But if you drop dead right there you are going to leave Debbie an orphan and a ward of the Centre. Do you want that?" Parker clicked off the call.

Jarod looked mad. "Parker. Don't you think you were a little hard on Mr. Broots? He just got shot and lost his daughter."

"But it's just Broots..." Parker looked into Jarod's eyes. 

Jarod lifted her chin with his finger. "And he's just the only other person besides me who would do anything for you."

"But he's use to me being that way. Besides, if I said it any other way he never would have believed it was me."

"All I'm saying is here you don't have to be the Ice Queen, at least not totally. Maybe now would be a good time to re-define your relationship."

Parker raised an eyebrow. "Relationship?"

"Yes, relationship. Move more from co-worker to friend. I think he will need a friend now to get him through this. Until we can get Debbie back." Jarod hugged her.

"Since when did you become Sigmund Freud?" Parker quipped.

"Well I was a psychiatrist once." Jarod smiled and then bent down to kiss her. "You'll figure it out. I'll miss you."

"I know." She turned to Becky. "Take care of him."

"I will. He's my sister's brother." Becky smiled. "And he has a very important role ahead of him." Becky got up. "I'm going to get my stuff and I'll meet you at the plane." She went and gave Stedman a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you soon Joan."

"You be careful." Stedman pointed her finger at Becky. 

"Becky, before you leave. Have you seen Mark? I wanted to talk to him before we left. Figured he was pretty shook up about Lily. I wanted to reassure him that I would get her out." Becky shook her head no. Jarod looked at Stedman. "Dr. Stedman, have you seen him?"

"Not since I had to tell him last night about Lily..." Stedman pulled out, opened her phone, and dialed. "This is Dr. Stedman. Has anyone left the facility either last night or today?" Stedman listened for a moment. "Damn. I am going to put lojacks on all of you. He left early this morning. Had the limo take him to the airport." Stedman let out a sigh. "I should have seen this coming. Jarod. I don't have time to explain this fully, but Mark is one of Raines' projects. He was at the Centre the same time Lily was. He was Raines prodigy in psychology, worked close with him."

Jarod raced around the table realizing what Stedman was saying. Parker on his heels. "He's heading for Blue Cove. Becky come on - we have to get out of here. He has a couple of hour's lead on us. He's going to get himself killed and Lily in the process." He turned around and looked at Parker with panicked eyes.

"Hurry. Go." Parker pointed for the door.

Jarod gave her a quick kiss and he was out the door. Becky following.

"I love you." Parker whispered as she followed him to the door and watched him disappear down the hall.

*************************

Lily woke up with a start on the cold operating room table. She pulled her hands expecting the restraints to be there, only to find out her hands were free. She pushed herself up slowly, her head throbbing. She looked around and realized she was still in the bright white room, but everyone was gone. 

She felt her head - no electrodes. The IV was out of her arm. There was a Band-Aid in the crack of her arm. Lily looked down at her clothing. She was no longer in her silver jumpsuit. She was wearing a top and pants that resembled gray surgical scrubs. Her feet were covered with cloth slippers. "How chic." She said to herself. 

Lily looked at the corners of the room. There were no visible cameras. The equipment was still in the room, but turned off. Lily brought her legs off the side of the table and hopped down. The sound of her feet hitting the floor echoed in the room. There was only one exit from the room. An open doorway was opposite the table she had been laying on. No door was visible and Lily could see that there was a hallway beyond the opening. Lily approached it cautiously.

Lily crept like a cat, pushing herself up against the wall next to the opening. She peered through the opening into the hallway. The large hall was drab compared to the room she was occupying. The walls were gray in color. "What are they color blind here." Lily peeked up and down the hall. There were other openings scattered up and down the hall. Suddenly she had a flash of being in a gray hall that reminded her of a dungeon. And just as quickly the flash was gone.

"This is too easy." Lily said as she exited the room and moved to the right. She slipped quietly along the wall to the next opening. She cautiously looked into this room to find out that it was an exact duplicate of the room she had been in. There was another opening across from the one she was examining. "What the hell are they planning on doing here?" She smiled as she could hear Joan scolding her in the back of her mind for her language.

Lily crept across the hall, looking up and down the hall for any sign of movement. She pushed herself up against the wall and looked into the room.

Lying on the operating table in the middle of the room was Bobby. He was hooked to various monitors and an IV line. Lily slid into the room, scanned it, and went to his side. He was unconscious, but looked otherwise unharmed. 

"Bobby. Can you hear me?" She gently lifted Bobby's eyelids to see if she could get a response. His eyes were glassy and unresponsive, she concluded that they were keeping him heavily sedated. It would take a while to be able to move him out of the room. The sounds of the her own words sent her into another flash.

Lily was about five. "Bobby. Bobby, can you hear me?" She was standing in front of his door in SL27.

"Yes. How did you get out of your room?" Bobby whispered through the barred hole in the door.

"I hid underneath the nutritional cart. There's a blanket and pillow in my bed that looks like I'm sleeping."

"I thought they checked the cart before it left the room?" Bobby asked.

"I hid under the chair till they checked it and then I snuck on." Lily smiled. "I love tricking them."

"Me too." Bobby laughed.

The flash ended and she was back in the present. She knew where she was. She started tapping his face. "Bobby. You have got to wake up. We're in SL 27. I have to get you out of here." She moved toward the IV to disconnect it.

"Where would you go?" A voice came out of nowhere.

Lily spun around and recognized the voice as Raines. She could feel her adrenaline turning to anger. "Where are you? Afraid to face me?"

Raines asked again. "Where would you go? This is your home."

Lily looked up and around the room for cameras. "This is not my home."

"Then where is home?" Raines wheezed.

Now Lily understood she was being interrogated. "Wouldn't you like to know? Maybe somewhere over the rainbow."

Raines was sitting in a control room off of his office. A room full of observation equipment, audio equipment, and a computer console. "She is being very obstinate."

Klos was standing behind Raines. "From what I read in her file, she hasn't changed since her childhood."

"The question is can she be controlled?" Raines responded back. He spoke in to the microphone in front of him. "Smartness will lead to discipline." Raines pushed a button on the console.

Lily dropped to her knees, grabbing the side of her head. Excruciating pain shot through her. "Ahhhhhhh." She screamed.

Raines released the button. "Now, will we cooperate?" He semi turned to Klos. "At least the punishment system still works."

"Let me have her. You'll get all the answers you want." Klos looked at the screen with a gleam in his eyes.

"I don't want her dead Klos, just cooperative." Raines watched Lily on the monitor. She had pulled herself up from the floor.

"I won't tell you anything you son of a bitch. I decide who lives or dies!" The words slid out of Lily's mouth before she realized what she was saying.

"There." Raines pointed. "That confirms it. That's my programming - she is Lily."

"Then where has she been all these years?" Klos asked.

"That's the million-dollar question." Raines and Klos stared at the monitor watching their prized possession. 

__

************************

Madness is defined as crazed behavior.

The Game has many different levels of madness.

The Players must learn to adapt.

Or lose the Game and their grasp on reality.

This is my first try at my own storyline. I would love to hear feedback. Please e-mail me at scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com. 

Colleen


	44. Flight into Madness

__

Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans

****

Angel's Hope

Written by scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com

Chapter 44: Flight into Madness

Madness is defined as crazed behavior.

The Game has many different levels of madness.

The Players must learn to adapt.

Or lose the Game and their grasp on reality.

*************************

"I won't tell you anything you son of a bitch. I decide who lives or dies!" The words slid out of Lily's mouth before she realized what she was saying.

"There." Raines pointed. "That confirms it. That's my programming - she is Lily."

"Then where has she been all these years?" Klos asked.

"That's the million-dollar question." Raines and Klos stared at the monitor watching their prized possession. 

Raines hit the microphone button. "Now, have you been speaking with Miss Parker? Language of that sort is unbefitting a woman of your intelligence."

Lily scanned the room. Finally she spotted a small remote camera in the corner of the room. It had dropped down through the ceiling. "I want to know what I am!" She yelled at the camera she had spotted.

"What an interesting question. What are you?" Raines pondered Lily's question.

"I remember hearing people around me talking about altered genes. As a child I didn't understand what that meant, but now I know you did something to me genetically. So the question again is. What am I?" Lily had started to pace around the room.

"You are evolution." Was all Raines responded.

Lily smiled at the camera. "Evolution? You play God with women and children. And justify it by calling it evolution. Its forced genetic manipulation. What kind of man are you?"

"The kind with foresight. I'm years ahead of any other research facility. My children are proof of that. You are proof of that. My Pretenders are the chameleon leaders of the future." Raines took in a long breath. "They will control great power."

"Well I hate to inform you, but I don't work for you. I can be anyone I want to be - a doctor, lawyer, pilot. But I will never be your pawn." Lily picked up one of the smaller monitors and threw it at the camera. Electronic pieces and sparks flew everywhere. Lily pulled the catheter out of Lyle's arm.

Lily looked up to see a thick metal door sliding across the opening to the room. "Knew this place had to have doors. It always had." She looked around the room and spotted the air vent. She grabbed an instrument off the instrument tray and pushed one of the monitors under the vent. Lily reached up to unscrew the bolt that held the grate and an electric shock threw her backwards with a thud onto the floor. Lily lay there stunned.

Raines' voice came over the P.A. "Like I said before - there have been changes at the Centre."

************************

Joan sat at her desk looking at the pictures she had in the room. The picture of Catherine and Melissa, a picture of Lily at age 10 hacking her first computer program, Becky playing the piano at age 8. She realized all the moments that had passed by in her life since leaving the Centre.

She had thrown herself into her work at Angel's Hope and the children. It had never allowed her to have a husband or children of her own. She was too busy raising and protecting other's children. And trying to keep Lily in line. She missed Jacob. No other man had ever compared to him in dedication and commitment. 

But somewhere through the years the children had grown and become strong individuals. The others less fortunate had been made as comfortable as possible, with people tending them that cared. And she realized, without planning it, she had allowed Lily to start taking on this role and more responsibilities. And her life had started to follow Joan's. At forty she had no husband, no family, only work. Joan had never expected Lily would find out about the Centre. Let alone go there.

Joan picked up the phone and dialed. After several rings the call was picked up.

"Hello. Sydney." Sydney was sitting on the corner of his desk.

"Sydney, its Joan Stedman."

"Joan. I was expecting your call. I believe a mutual friend has arrived at the Centre." Sydney went to sit down behind his desk.

"How is she? Has Raines hurt her?" Joan asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure Joan. When we arrived, they took her away. I haven't seen her since. She certainly is an energetic person. Got loose on the plane and took out the Sweepers. You have been training her well. Unfortunately an associate of Raines, Mr. Cox, was able to neutralize her. Is she really Jarod's twin?"

"Yes. They are twins. Raines separated them at birth." Joan held her head with her hands fighting the migraine that was forming.

"Like Parker and Lyle. Did you know Lily was coming here?" Sydney added.

"No. She has a will of her own and wanted to face Raines. Her capture was of her own doing. He won't be able to break her Sydney. She has a lot of years of mental suppression and the ability to place herself outside of physical pain when subjected to extreme situations."

"Much like her brother. Trying to find the answers about their lives. I would love to see them together. It must be quite extraordinary." Sydney laughed as he thought about a female Jarod.

Joan didn't want to say to Sydney that he might have that chance. "They are quite a pair. Sydney, I have more of a problem than Lily coming there. Do you remember a young boy years ago that worked with Raines? He was used as an assistant during psychological experiments."

"I vaguely remember seeing a young boy with Raines, but I never worked with him. He was strictly on Raines' team."

"Yes. Well that young boy came to work for me as a young man. And he is very smitten with Lily."

"You're afraid he is going to try and contact Raines, aren't you?" Sydney surmised.

"Yes. I think he will try that or try to get her out of the Centre himself."

"I will try and keep my eyes open. I will need to have some idea what he looks like."

Joan pushed papers on her desk and found what she was looking for. "I can fax you a picture. Do you have a secure machine near you?"

"Yes. The number is (302)555-8137. But it's possible the Centre could trace the fax." Sydney took a quick look around to the door.

"Hold on." Joan took the photo she had of Mark and placed it face down in the machine. She dialed the number and listened as the connection was made. "No problem. Our line is scrambled, Lily's own invention."

Sydney heard the fax machine behind his desk start to receive a transmission. He turned and soon a paper appeared in the tray. Sydney grabbed the paper. "I've got it Joan. I'll keep an eye out."

"Thank you Sydney. There is one more thing you need to know." Joan didn't know how to tell Sydney the information she had.

"Is it about Jarod?" Sydney asked anxious to hear how Jarod was handling Lily's capture, suspecting that Jarod would most likely come after her himself.

"No. It has to do with one of your coworkers, Mr. Broots."

"What about Broots?" Sydney asked concerned. "He didn't show up for work this morning."

"Jarod was concerned that the Centre was interested in his daughter Debbie. As it turns out, they were and they took her."

"They took Debbie? Why?" Sydney asked concerned for his friend's daughter.

"Some kind of new project - Gemini Succession. But Sydney, I have worse news."

Sydney wrote down the project name. "I've never heard of that project. What could be worse?" 

Joan got a solemn tone in her voice. "Mr. Broots was shot trying to rescue Debbie."

Sydney sat in silence for a moment. "Is Broots all right? Where is he? They've finally gone too far."

"He's safe Sydney, our people have him. As far as I know he is in stable condition. I'm awaiting his arrival."

"Take care of him Joan. He is a very special man and good father." Sydney leaned back in his chair.

"I will. Please keep your eyes open for Mark and Debbie. And look after Lily if you can, she's very special. Maybe together we can keep both our prodigies safe. Bye Sydney." Joan hung up the phone.

"Bye Joan." Sydney heard the click of the call disconnecting. He took a long look at the handsome man in the picture, folded it, and put it in his chest jacket pocket. He got up out of his chair and headed out of his office.

*************************

It had been three hours since the plane had left Delaware and Parker was pacing waiting for Broots arrival. The second team had contacted Veronica and they had been unable to locate Debbie. A medical team was waiting there on standby with Parker.

In the distance, Parker saw a plane approaching Angel's Hope. She watched as it made its decent and landing on the runway. The plane taxied to a stop and the medical team ran to the steps. Tim and Alex carried Broots on a backboard down to the stretcher. They placed it on the gurney as Dr. Berez disembarked the plane.

As they wheeled Broots toward the building, Parker could hear the doctor barking orders. The team hung his IV line up on a pole attached to the gurney. "I want another transfusion set up immediately. Let the orthopedic surgery team know we're on our way."

Parker approached the gurney and could see Broots' eyes wild with fear as the people crowded around him. "Broots."

"Miss Parker. I tried to save her." Broots' voice was weak.

"I know. It was a very brave thing you did." Parker was running with the gurney as they brought him into the building and down the hall.

As they boarded the elevator, Broots motioned to Parker. "Did you find Debbie?"

Parker hesitated. "You're a strong person Broots, so I'm going to tell you the truth. The Centre has her." Parker could see the tears well up in his eyes, as he mouthed the word no. "Come on Broots. Don't break on me now. I need you to get through this operation, get your ass out of bed, and help me get Debbie back."

They got off the elevator and headed for the surgical wing. They reached the double doors of the operating wing. The surgical attendants met the gurney and pushed Broots through the doors as Berez stopped Parker. This is as far as you can go. Someone will come out when the surgery is over."

"Doctor. How is he?" Parker asked concern showing in her face.

"He has lost a lot of blood and is in serious condition. I did what I could on the plane. It would have been better if we could have operated sooner, but I understood their concern for his safety. There aren't many secure facilities in the Blue Cove area." Dr. Berez said as she opened the door. "I'm going to go observe the surgery and update Dr. Brackman." Berez disappeared behind the double doors.

Parker watched as the doctor disappeared through the door. Suddenly she had an overwhelming nausea and became light headed. She saw waiting room chairs in the hallway to the right. She sat down and put her head in her hands. Her long black hair hung down around her hands and she took deep breaths. And then after the nausea subsided, she began to cry.

***************************

Mark got up from his seat and opened the overhead compartment. He grabbed his overnight bag, overcoat, and shut the compartment door. The other passengers were in the aisle in a flurry of activity. Grabbing their bags and disembarking the plane.

Mark waited for the majority of the passengers to leave the plane before he put his jacket on and squeezed into the small aisle. He exited the plane with a quick goodbye to the pilot and stewardess who stood at the door. The first thing that hit him was the cold air walking between the plane and the exit ramp.

Chills ran up his spine as the air hit him. He pulled his overcoat up around his neck as he threw his bag over his shoulder. He headed into the airport terminal. He walked out into the cold day air and hailed a taxi.

Mark entered the cab and gave the cabbie instruction. "I need a motel that is out of the way, but close to Blue Cove." 

"Sure thing Mister." The cab sped off.

Mark looked out the dirty cab window at the scenery passing by. He was deep in thought about Lily. He could picture her beautiful face. He remembered when he first saw her. She was just four or five years old, he was six going on thirty. Raines had discovered his high intelligence at his clinic. Had talked his parents into letting him study at the Centre. They thought he was going to some kind of think tank prep school. If they had only known. They died a year after he entered the Centre.

Lily had been brought in under the red files. Raines had all his projects color-coded. He was part of the blue files. She had been tested at a genius IQ and he had heard the word Pretender mentioned on several occasions. Raines had never told him what a Pretender was. Lily was a spitfire, a curly brown haired little girl that never gave Raines an easy time. He had liked that about her.

Mark had watched, had to take notes, and analyze her behavior after each sim. He watched Raines try to rob her of her soul time and time again. Torture her, try to break her. So he would go to her and help her. If not by just taking her hand, but holding her at times and rocking her. Then by out right defying Raines.

In the end, that is how he had lost her. He stood up to Raines and Raines had deemed him a liability to the Pretender project. He had been taken away and sent to school across the country. Away from the Centre. But their hand had always had a hold on him. He had seen Sweepers watching him and keeping track of him. Until Joan secretly contacted him and asked him to join Angel's Hope.

And that's where he saw her again. She was twenty-four and as beautiful as a morning sunrise. There was a fire in her eyes when she was involved in a project or with the children. She would be laughing and playing with them. But every so often he could see a sadness in her eyes.

A sadness that he knew the cause for and she didn't. Dr. Stedman had made it quite clear the repercussions of her finding out about her past. And he had kept that promise of secrecy. Kept it through their friendship, kept it through their early romance, and kept it up until it exploded in his face.

His heart ached for the time when they had worked side by side and heart to heart. Every time he looked at Lily his heart went into a flutter. After they had dated for six years, he had finally pinned her down and asked her to marry him. Lily had said yes and looked happy. But again he would see that sadness. He knew she had a feeling of being incomplete.

So he waited for her after one excuse and then another. Six years later he was still waiting for their perfect wedding. Knowing that something inside was pulling her in another direction.

Raines' programming was inside her. He could see it as she practiced her martial arts, when she practiced maneuvers with her team, and when she was close to him. Though he knew she couldn't remember, there was always a barrier there. Something that stopped her from being totally committed. In her subconscious, she could tie him to her early atrocities. He had always denied it, but knew it was true deep inside.

So now everything was out in the open. Yes, Lily had said that she hated him and never wanted him around again. But getting her anger out was a good thing therapeutically. Repressive aggression caused physiological conditions. He would rescue her, she would come to forgive him, and they would finally be able to proceed with their lives.

Except...Lyle, Bobby, whatever or whoever he was. She _had_ to contact _him_. He remembered Bobby. They were always getting into trouble together. Making Raines furious. Mark's face flushed with anger, as he thought about them together. She had a bond with him, something Lily didn't have with him. They use to laugh and have secrets. Why did she have to see him?

"Mister. Mister." The cabbie yelled at Mark.

Mark shook his head slightly and looked at the cab driver. 

The cab driver looked annoyed. "You going to get out or do I have to start chargin you rent?"

Mark looked out the window to see a worn looking, drab motel and realized that they had arrived at their destination. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "How much do I owe you?"

"Forty-three fifty." The cab driver responded waiting impatiently for his money and smoking a cigarette.

Mark pulled out a fifty and handed it to the driver. "Keep the change." Mark started opening the door to get out when he heard the trail of the cabby's words.

"Last of the big time spenders." He growled and sped off as soon as Mark had cleared his bag of the door and shut it.

Mark proceeded to the registration desk in the lobby and checked in. He took the key and walked to Room 106, dodging the various debris that littered the parking lot. He got to the door and inserted the key. As the door opened, he saw a run down room with peeling flowered wallpaper. There was a full size bed and a cheap dresser with a television bolted to it. "The things I do for that woman." Was all he said as he threw his bag on the bed and shut the door to get ready for the Centre.

*************************

Jarod was pacing the jet. Becky watched as he went back and forth, back and forth. "You are going to wear a hole in the plane fuselage if you keep that up." Becky smiled as Jarod stopped.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do. The flight is so long. And I'm trying to determine what Mark would logically do, but I don't know him well enough to simulate his moves."

"I know you're not use to not being in control. First - he's not using logic; he's using his heart. Knowing Mark, I would say he is going to try and get in there. He's going to want to get to her and protect her."

"Protect her? He's lucky he can protect himself. He's a psychiatrist, not a mercenary. You don't just walk into the Centre, take someone, and walk back out. He'll get himself shot by the Sweepers before he gets past the elevator."

Becky took Jarod's hand and sat him down. "Mark won't care. He's in love. He can't sit by and let them hurt her. What would you do if they were going to hurt Miss Parker?" 

Jarod remembered Parker being shot by Willie and carrying her to safety. He had been captured because he couldn't leave her behind to bleed to death. "That's different, I'm trained. I possess certain skills. I..."

Becky cut him off. "You're in love. You would do anything to protect her, even if it meant your own life. And don't try to deny it. I can read you like a book."

Jarod just looked at Becky. "Has Lily ever told you that your gift is very annoying? There are no secrets."

Becky smiled. "All the time. And I don't mean to pry, but your feelings are beaming off you like a neon sign. If it makes you feel any better, it's the same with Miss Parker."

"Well I'm glad I'm not the only one you can read like a magazine. You really do have a remarkable gift." Jarod got back up and started pacing again.

"Thank you. Let's hope it can be of service to Mark and Lily."

"What did you say?" Jarod asked spinning on his heels.

"Thank you?" Becky looked confused.

"No. Your gifts being of service to Mark. Can you see where he is Becky?"

"I don't know. I've never really tried to focus on someone that way. Usually I read people's emotions or get a flash of information. And we're still quite a bit away from him."

"Can you try?" Jarod asked coming to sit across from her.

A light went on in Becky's eyes. She opened her briefcase she had brought with her. "Lily's file. I know Mark has held this. Maybe it will help." She held the folder in her hands and tried to see if she could receive anything. After a few moments, she slammed the folder on her lap and sighed. "Nothing."

"Try to relax Becky. Maybe you are trying too hard. I know sometimes it takes Angelo a few minutes to get anything."

Becky took in a big breath. "OK. If Angelo can do this, so can I." She nodded at Jarod. "Try and relax - got it." She said partially under her breath. "Easier said then done." 

Jarod smiled. "I know. You're doing great under the circumstances."

Becky took the folder and placed one hand on the top and bottom. She let her shoulders relax, then her torso, then her legs. Suddenly she could see Mark. He was at some sort of run down motel. The sign was to his right, but he wasn't looking at it. He was paying money, grabbed a key, and then turned to leave the lobby. He opened the door and the image was gone.

Becky looked at Jarod with excitement. "He's at the Motorside Motel."

Jarod smiled. "A place I know well. I know where he is."

__

*********************

The boundaries of the Game are shifting.

Players are gaining allies and enemies.

Maneuvers and assaults are being played.

Who will win the prize?

__

. 

This is my first try at my own storyline. I would love to hear feedback. Please e-mail me at scifi4ever2001@yahoo.com. 

Colleen


	45. Past Acquaintances and New Friends

Chapter 45: Past Acquaintances and New Friends  
  
The boundaries of the Game are shifting. Players are gaining allies and enemies. Maneuvers and assaults are being played. Who will win the prize?  
  
*************************  
  
Becky took in a big breath. "OK. If Angelo can do this, so can I." She nodded at Jarod. "Try and relax - got it." She said partially under her breath. "Easier said then done."  
  
Jarod smiled. "I know. You're doing great under the circumstances."  
  
Becky took the folder and placed one hand on the top and bottom. She let her shoulders relax, then her torso, then her legs. Suddenly she could see Mark. He was at some sort of run down motel. The sign was to his right, but he wasn't looking at it. He was paying money, grabbed a key, and then turned to leave the lobby. He opened the door and the image was gone.  
  
Becky looked at Jarod with excitement. "He's at the Motorside Motel."  
  
Jarod smiled. "A place I know well. I know where he is."  
  
Becky looked at Jarod. "You know where the Motorside Motel is? How?"  
  
Jarod smiled. "It's one of the motels I stay at when I'm dealing with the Centre."  
  
Becky's jaw had dropped. "No. There's no way he picked the same motel you use. It's too easy."  
  
"It's fate. Let's be thankful for small miracles." Jarod thought for a moment. "If you're right, he won't be there by the time we reach Blue Cove. That means." Jarod looked at Becky with his puppy chestnut brown eyes.  
  
Becky gulped. "We have to go to the Centre?" She said it half as a question, half as a statement. Her whole body sank.  
  
Jarod came and sat next to Becky. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm not sure if I will be able to...I mean ...." Becky looked down into her hands, which was playing with the folder. "If I go there," Becky paused. "Go back there, I'm not sure what might happen. If I will have memories or visions once I'm at the Centre. I've gotten little images of what Lily's been seeing. I don't want those memories back Jarod."  
  
Jarod put his arm around her. "I'm sorry. I forgot that you were also at the Centre when you were a child. I understand. It wasn't a pleasant existence for any of us. And I don't know if you will have any memories or visions. I don't want to force you into anything, but I can't go walking in through the front doors of the Centre."  
  
Becky looked up. "But I can. And I'll know if they suspect me. Well I wanted more adventure in my life like Lily. That's what I hoped for at the beginning of this whole odyssey. Was I a stupid fool. I belong in front of a piano, not on spy missions."  
  
"Hopefully we'll grab Mark before he gets in, but if we don't I have a contact for you. Just tell the receptionist that you are there to see Katchime Ifucan."  
  
Becky picked up a pen and piece of paper out of her briefcase. She started writing the name down. "Is that with a C or a K?"  
  
"K" Jarod said smiling while he waited to see if Becky got his little Centre joke. "K, a, t, c, h, i, m, e. The last name is I, f, u, c, a, n."  
  
"So let me see if I have this spelt right. It's such an unusual name, must be European...it's.... Jarod. Stop messing with me. Catch me if you can. Cute."  
  
Jarod laughed. "I wasn't messing with you. I added the name to the Centre personnel roster. Whenever I want something delivered to Parker or Sydney and don't want them to know how it got there. I have it delivered to Katchime."  
  
"If they ever figure it out, they are going to feel like idiots." The door to the cockpit opened.  
  
A man in a finely pressed pilot's suit appeared through the door. "We'll be landing in about fifteen minutes."  
  
Becky's face lit up. "Thank you Captain Marcus. Please thank Captain Jacobson as well."  
  
The young man smiled and nodded to the woman. "You're quite welcome Becky." The man turned on his heels and went back through the cockpit door.  
  
Becky was still smiling as the man went back through the door.  
  
Jarod saw the glint in Becky's eyes and her accelerated breathing. "Maybe you'll be lucky enough to get Captain Marcus on the flight back." Jarod put on his lap belt.  
  
Becky squinted her eyes at him realizing that he was teasing her. "I am a healthy sensual twenty-nine year old woman."  
  
Jarod put his hands up to his ears. "I don't want to hear this. You're almost like a sister to me." He shook his head and then looked up. "Twenty- nine? I think you have miscalculated."  
  
"A woman is privileged to some secrets." Becky took a deep breath. "I'm glad we can keep our sense of humor through all this." Becky fastened her lap belt as well.  
  
"If only for a moment, the world stood still." Jarod was looking of into who knew where.  
  
Becky could feel the landing gear come down. "If only it could stay that way, but we know different. Don't we Jarod. We've seen the evil of this world and how it manipulates itself."  
  
Jarod shook his head in agreement. "But we've also seen the good in people. And that's what I try to keep with me. Not the evil forced on me, but the good I've done since I escaped it. I hope Lily can do the same. Raines will try and reinitiate the evil he planted in her subconscious."  
  
Becky shook her head. "He can try. I dare him. There's a lot of fight in her. And she didn't grow up with his values. I have to believe in her. That she will follow her heart." The plane shook as it hit the tarmac.  
  
"I'm glad that since Lily and I had to grow up apart, that she had you in her life." Jarod unbuckled his belt and stood up.  
  
Becky unbuckled her belt and followed suit. "Thank you. You're sweet. I'm glad that since we had to find out that we weren't really sisters, that you are her brother. She's going to need your unique understanding of the situation to get through this."  
  
"Thank you. Now let's go find Mark." Jarod grabbed Becky's hand and they exited the plane.  
  
*********************  
  
The door slid open and two Sweepers came blustering into the room. They marched themselves past Lyle, who was still unconscious and laying on the table. Each man grabbed Lily under her arms and started dragging her across the floor on her back.  
  
As Lily's senses started coming to her, she started kicking her feet. She could see Bobby still lying on the table. His head was turned toward her and he looked so peaceful. Peace amongst chaos. Lily tried to bring her long legs up to kick one of the Sweepers in the back.  
  
"Damn." Sam screamed as she nailed him in the square of his back. "Someone grab her feet." Two more Sweepers came to the door and moved towards Lily. "Grab her feet. She's kicking worse than a mule stung by a horsefly."  
  
Lily struggled as the men grabbed her legs. "Let go of me you morons." Sam took a second look at the woman because for a moment she sounded like Miss Parker. The men carried her out through the doorway. A dark haired man stood there watching the scene. He strode over to Lily looking over the woman as if she were a prize.  
  
Klos ran his finger down Lily's cheek. "Don't damage the goods gentleman. We have a lot riding on her existence." He grabbed Lily's cheeks between his fingers. "I'll be seeing you in a little while my dear."  
  
Lily shook her cheeks free as the men tried to keep a hold of her limbs. "Touch me again and I will tear your heart out with my bare hands." Lily heard the squeaking of wheels.  
  
Raines came up behind Klos dragging his oxygen tank. "Enough Klos. Sam, let her go. I'm sure Lily can make it to her room on her own power."  
  
Sam looked at the other Sweepers and nodded. The four Sweepers dropped Lily on her back on the floor. She hit it with a thud. The four men stepped back away from the obviously angry woman. "As much of a pain in the ass as your brother."  
  
Lily scrambled to her feet and took a defensive stance. She was observing all of the people around her. "I'll take that as a compliment." She got ready to fight.  
  
"You don't have to be aggressive Lily. As long as you cooperate, no one will hurt you. We can all be friends here." Raines wheezed out.  
  
Lily turned towards Raines, but kept her eyes on the Sweepers. "What do you mean cooperate?"  
  
"Hear me out. Think about working with the Centre. I can make things very nice for you here." Raines wheezed as he smiled this grotesque grin.  
  
"Friends are a liability. You taught me that. And I already told you; I don't work for anyone. If anything, I could take over the Centre if I wanted. Do you think that I got to this stage of my life without amassing some form of power? That you think I would take orders from a man that can't even breathe on his own. Besides that, I hold your prized possessions." Lily relaxed a little, but kept her authoritive facade.  
  
Raines' face dropped the false smile. "I am in authority here. And I own everything in the Centre - including you. I created you; you are one of my children. Every cell in your body is in existence because of my research. Soon I will have Jarod and Miss Parker back. You will hand them to me willingly."  
  
"A little egotistical, aren't we?" Lily said through clenched teeth. "I will never hand you anything, let alone my twin. You see there is so much I need to learn from him. But one thing I have found out is that my father's name is Charles and my mother's name is Margaret. No where do I remember seeing William Raines listed anywhere on my genealogical family tree."  
  
Anger now permeated through Raines. "Fine. Put her in her room. We'll do this the hard way. You'll find out you should have listened to me."  
  
"And maybe you'll learn not to piss me off." Lily spat out at Raines. Sam grabbed Lily's arm. Lily pulled her arm free. "I can walk by myself." Lily took a quick look through the doorway at Bobby. She could see he was starting to stir. Sam pushed her down the hallway towards the quarter's wing.  
  
Klos watched as the Sweeper team escorted Lily out of sight. "I want to break her of that arrogance."  
  
"In time Klos. For right now, let's show her the repercussions of her actions. We'll let her get a taste of her earlier life here at the Centre and how we have used it." Raines turned and headed back to his office.  
  
************************  
  
Sydney walked up to the elevator in a non-shalant stride. He pushed the button and waited for the elevator door to open. With a swish the elevator doors opened and Sydney boarded the car. He reviewed the floor buttons. He had noticed that the panel had been replaced weeks ago. This had led Broots and himself to start searching the Centre records for access codes to the elevator lock that was in place for the added floor.  
  
Parker had come to him two months ago when she had heard rumors that Raines was rebuilding SL27. Now he was sure this was where Lily and Debbie would be kept. Raines would want them where no one, including the Triumverate, could find them without his knowledge.  
  
Broots had sent him an encryptic message saying he thought he had found the access code in a file he found attached to one of Mr. Lyle's e-mails. He punched in the numbers, pushed the button, and the elevator took off with a slight jerk.  
  
In a few short moments, the elevator doors re-opened. Sydney stepped out into the new and improved SL27. Sydney cautiously moved down the hallway seeing doorway after doorway of rooms with no doors. Sydney poked his head into one of the rooms. It looked like the rooms the earlier Pretenders had been kept in at the Centre. There was a desk with a computer on it. A twin size bed in the corner. It looked like a bathroom shot off the back of the 11x11 room. A dresser stood off to the right of the room.  
  
Sydney heard people coming and fully stepped into the room hiding against the wall closest to the doorway. He listened as the voices came closer and clearer.  
  
Sam headed the hallway group. He pointed to room number 3 and then stopped in front of the room. "This is where you will be staying. But don't expect gourmet room service." Sam grinned.  
  
Lily looked at the Sweeper. "We'll see when I take over the Centre." Sam pushed her into the room. Lily looked around the room. "I think you should fire your interior decorator. This place stinks." She turned just in time to see the metal door close in front of her.  
  
Sam looked at the closed door and fixed his suit. "Another pain in the ass. We're going to have as much fun with this one as we did Jarod." The other nodded in agreement. The group walked back the way they had come.  
  
Sydney listened as the group walked down the hall and the footsteps disappeared. He snuck out of his hiding place and went to the closed door where Lily was being kept. "Lily. Is it you in there?" Sydney tried to speak loud enough for the woman to hear him, but not the Sweepers who just left.  
  
Lily had been investigating the room, when she heard the voice at the door. She went to the door. "Who's there?"  
  
"Lily, it's Sydney. I am a friend of Jarod's." Sydney looked up and down the hall again.  
  
Lily was quiet for a moment. "You work for the Centre."  
  
"I know Lily, but Jarod trusts me. You can too. Someone is coming." Sydney heard commotion down the hallway and slipped across the hall to one of the other rooms so he could observe what was happening.  
  
Sam and the Sweeper team were escorting a very angry and groggy Mr. Lyle down the hall. "Let go of me you idiots. I'll have your heads for this."  
  
Sam just sneered at Lyle as he punched in the door code. "Our orders come from Mr. Raines and he says that you are to be detained." Sam shoved Lyle into room 1. "And detained you'll be." He pushed the button that was on the side of the doorway opening and the large metal door slid past him. "Now he's where he belonged all the time." The team left and moved down the hall away from the quarters.  
  
Sydney snuck back out and went to Lily's door. "Lily. There is a keypad on this side, but I don't know the code. Are you all right?"  
  
"None the worse for wear. Get out of here Sydney, there are eyes and ears everywhere." Lily was scanning the room for surveillance equipment.  
  
"I'll try to figure some way out of there for you. Don't give in to him." Sydney was studying the keypad. There was a button marked view. He pushed it. A clear window appeared in the door. Sydney could see Lily, but it seemed like she couldn't see him. He tried to touch the window, which turned out to be as solid as the rest of the door. "Lily, the door seems to be made up of some sort of polymer. I can see right through a small square to you."  
  
Lily examined the door. "I don't see a window." She ran her hand all over the door.  
  
"And she won't Sydney." Sydney turned around to see Raines standing behind him with a man who he did not know. "It's a one way window. My new design. What are you doing here Sydney?" The man wheezed.  
  
Sydney thought fast. "I wanted to see Jarod's sister again. I want to see how she measures up to Jarod's standard." Sydney stood up against Raines.  
  
"I didn't give you the access code to this level. You're not authorized to be here." Raines snarled.  
  
"I received an e-mail from Mr. Lyle. It had the access code supplied. I assumed that I would be brought in on any of the Pretender projects, especially Jarod's sister. But if you have a problem with that, I can always take it up with the Triumverate." Sydney went to leave.  
  
"No. You can talk to her, but on scheduled visits only. And I will be watching." Raines motioned to Klos to open the door.  
  
Sydney watched as Klos entered the code. The door opened and Sydney could see Lily standing in the middle of the room. He entered the room and the door closed quickly behind him.  
  
"Hello Lily. My name is Sydney. I'll be working with you." Sydney guided Lily to the desk where he took a seat on the desk and Lily sat in the chair. They were directly across from each other. "How are you feeling after your trip?" Sydney whispered. "Raines is listening."  
  
"How do you think I feel after being shot full of narcotics and taunted by a corpse?" It took everything Lily had not to laugh.  
  
"Things will go easier for you here if you cooperate. There is no Sanctuary for you here." Sydney tapped the computer with his hand. "I will be in periodically to check on you. I'd like to discuss your childhood after the Centre."  
  
Lily looked coldly at Sydney. "I didn't have a childhood. Dr. Raines took that away from me. From us."  
  
"I understand your anger Lily. I hope that you can come to trust me in the future." Sydney got up to leave. "You may find that you have friends here." Sydney lowered his voice again. "Debbie Broots was taken."  
  
Lily sat up with concern in her eyes. "Will I find those friends here Sydney?"  
  
"I'm sure that eventually you will have friends. Mr. Lyle is right next door. You seem to have already met him." Sydney whispered again. "The other rooms are empty."  
  
"I don't have any friends. We'll see what happens next." Lily got up off the chair. "I think you should leave."  
  
Sydney proceeded to the door. "Take care of yourself. I'll be back later." The door opened as Sydney approached it. Lily tried to follow and the door closed as soon as Sydney passed through it.  
  
Lily stepped away from the door. "So you are watching Dr. Raines." She looked around the room.  
  
"So now it's just us Lily." A voice echoed in the room.  
  
"Dr. Raines. How nice of you to be eavesdropping." Lily went and sat on the bed.  
  
"I want you to understand the dynamics of this facility." Suddenly three of the four walls around her became transparent.  
  
Lily ran up to one of the walls and touched it. There was mass there, but she could see right through to the hallway and to the next room. She went to the next and banged on it. She spun around to look through all the walls, ending up looking at the one that had not gone transparent.  
  
"You're in a fishbowl Lily. We can make the appearance of the walls disappear at any time. You will be observed twenty-four hours a day for however long I deem fit." The appearance of the walls returned. "From now on Lily, you are my Beta." The wall that had not gone transparent before now did.  
  
Lily could see Lyle strapped to a chair. Images were playing on the wall opposite of him. He was struggling with the straps.  
  
"He will be your mate." Raines announced as he watched Lily's reaction.  
  
Lily looked up and around the room in shock. "You're insane."  
  
**********************  
  
Walls are closing in around two of the Players. The others must fight to break the barriers. The Game has become an intricate maze. Who will find the solution? 


	46. Survival of the Pretenders

Chapter 46: Survival of the Pretenders  
  
Walls are closing in around two of the Players. The others must fight to break the barriers. The Game has become an intricate maze. Who will find the solution?  
  
*************************  
  
"So now it's just us Lily." A voice echoed in the room.  
  
"Dr. Raines. How nice of you to be eavesdropping." Lily went and sat on the bed.  
  
"I want you to understand the dynamics of this facility." Suddenly three of the four walls around her became transparent.  
  
Lily ran up to one of the walls and touched it. There was mass there, but she could see right through to the hallway and to the next room. She went to the next and banged on it. She spun around to look through all the walls, ending up looking at the one that had not gone transparent.  
  
"You're in a fishbowl Lily. We can make the appearance of the walls disappear at any time. You will be observed twenty-four hours a day for however long I deem fit." The appearance of the walls returned. "From now on Lily, you are my Beta." The wall that had not gone transparent before now did.  
  
Lily could see Lyle strapped to a chair. Images were playing on the wall opposite of him. He was struggling with the straps.  
  
"He will be your mate." Raines announced as he watched Lily's reaction.  
  
Lily looked up and around the room in shock. "You're insane. Do you think you can just breed me like I was a thoroughbred racehorse?"  
  
"There is a plan for everything. The Parker legacy will go on and you will be a catalyst to that. I already have one child under my control. When I get the rest of your little family back here we'll have the makings of a new generation. Besides it seems that you and Mr. Lyle were teaming up well." Raines leaned back to and watched Lily's reaction.  
  
"I am not teaming up with anyone. I would die before I gave a child to you."  
  
"Everything in it's own time. The future may not turn out how you envisioned it. Soon you will be working for me. Or suffer his fate." Raines pushed a button on the console. Lyle was racked with pain. His body pulled tight against the straps as he lurched forward.  
  
"Stop it!" Lily screamed. She ran to the wall and slammed her body against it sideways.  
  
Raines released the control and then pushed another button. The wall façade reappeared in front of Lily. "I believe that you care more about Mr. Lyle than you are saying. But for now lets talk about you."  
  
Lily slammed her hands against the wall. She hated not being in control. "What do you want to know Dr. Raines? How wonderful my childhood was? Oops I forgot, you already know what my childhood was like."  
  
"But do you." Raines hit the controls and the wall in front of Lily started showing an old DSA file marked Lily, For Centre Use Only.  
  
A young Dr. Raines stood in a room; similar to the room she was now in, with a young Lily. The man was instructing the young girl. "There are many people in the city of New York." Different pictures of New York City flashed on the screen in front of the young girl. The Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, The Chrysler Building. "We need you to analyze the island and tell us what is the most vulnerable area open to attack."  
  
Lily looked at the screen and at the map that had been placed in front of her. "What kind of people would want to hurt them?"  
  
"Bad men. They hate the economic stability of our country. They are against our freedom as a people. They enjoy terrorizing people."  
  
Lily looked back up at the screen again. "The symbol of Freedom would be the Statue of Liberty. A bomb placed within would bring the statue to rubble. The Empire State building would be the next likely target." Lily scanned the map again. "A point to take into fact is this building site here. The structural plans for this building are interesting. In several years when the buildings are finished with construction, it might then take over as the most vulnerable site."  
  
"What site are you looking at Lily?" Raines asked looking over the young girl's shoulder.  
  
"Here. The plans say that they are going to build a series of buildings with two tall towers approximately 80-90 stories tall. Making it the tallest building in the city. It will be built with steel, which may leave it open to being attacked by some form of explosion. The plan says that it is to be called the World Trade Center. My conclusion is that these groups of buildings will be attractive to someone wanting to show power." Lily looked up at Dr. Raines.  
  
"Very good Lily. Now I want you to work on your computer programs for a while. We'll talk again later."  
  
Lily was touching the wall where the young Lily sat at her computer. She had a sudden flash feeling of sitting at that computer. Suddenly the DSA picture was gone and footage of September 11th started to fill the walls around her. She spun around 360° to view all the walls. The sound of the planes crashing into the buildings was deafening. It was followed by the collapse of one Tower, then the other. Then scenes of the garage bombing years earlier came onto another wall  
  
Lily sank to her knees. "No. Oh God. Noooooooooo."  
  
***********************  
  
Mark approached the front steps to the Centre. He remembered as a young boy that the first time he had seen these steps they seemed to be monstrous. Like he was walking up the steps to a fortress. How soon he had learned that he was right.  
  
He straightened his tie and then his jacket. The wide swinging doors stood before him like the gate to Hell. A gate that held the woman he loved prisoner. Mark was perspiring and took out his handkerchief to wipe his brow. He didn't want Raines to see any nervousness on his part. He had to stay cool for Lily's sake.  
  
Mark grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. It swung easily with a swoosh and he stepped through into the enormous entryway. An elegant reception desk sat off to the right of the entryway. There were two overly smiling young ladies answering phones and greeting guests. Behind the two ladies were two suited men who Mark assumed were Sweepers.  
  
He approached the desk. One of the perky ladies smiled at him. "May I help you?"  
  
"Yes. I'm here to see Dr. William Raines." Mark gave a warm smile back to the young woman who slightly blushed.  
  
"We have a Mr. William Raines, President and CEO, but he isn't a doctor. Is that who you wish to speak to?" The girl said as she smiled sweetly with a little bit of flirtation thrown in.  
  
Mark went with the flirtation. "Yes. I'm sorry. It's been a while since I've seen him."  
  
"Let me ring his secretary and I'll see if he is in his office. Whom may I say is calling?"  
  
"Mark...Mark Bender. That's it. Mark Bender." He acknowledged as he noticed that there were cameras looking at him at every view.  
  
The girl dialed the extension and spoke briefly. She hung up the receiver and looked back up at Mark. "Sir, Mr. Raines is not in his office at this moment. Would you care to leave a message or wait for a while? His secretary said she would buzz me when he got back in."  
  
"Yes, thank you. I'll wait." Mark nervously shifted from one foot to another. He hadn't counted on having to sit in the Centre lobby; open like a duck in hunting season.  
  
"There are chairs over there where you can wait." The young woman leaned over the desk and pointed out the overly cushioned chairs. She came up right next to Mark, smiled, and then returned to her side of the desk. "I could get you a beverage if you would like. Or anything else you might like also."  
  
Now it was Mark's turn to blush a little. "Uh. No. No thank you. I'm fine. I'll go have a seat." Mark thought to himself that he was very rusty at the flirtation game and that young women had become very bold since he last was open to the dating scene.  
  
Mark walked toward the chairs and mulled around them while watching the reception desk. The woman had become busy helping another person at the desk and the Sweepers were looking towards the doorway. Mark moved away from the chairs and started walking quickly toward the hallway he knew led to the Tower offices.  
  
He got to the elevator door and pushed the button. He had multiple ideas running through his mind. See if he could get to the lower levels via this elevator. Sneak into Raines' office to see if he could find out exactly where Lily was. The doors opened and Mark was just about to step in, when an arm grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"I don't think you really want to go there." A voice came from behind Mark.  
  
**************************  
  
It had been an hour and a half since Broots had gone into surgery. The waiting was making Parker go nuts. She had paced for a while, had gone and gotten some crackers for her nausea, and was now counting the tiles on the floor. "Memo to self, kill Broots if he makes it through this."  
  
She was also worried about Debbie. If she were at the Centre right now, Debbie would be standing next to her. Not off at God knows where with who knows whom. Raines was going to pay for this when she got back. Pay big time.  
  
The doors to the operating wing opened and Dr. Berez walked through. She was in blue scrubs and was pulling off her surgical cap.  
  
Parker walked over quickly. "How is Broots?"  
  
"Mr. Broots has come through the surgery and is being taken to post op. We have him in stable condition and with some therapy he should recover almost full movement of his shoulder. He's very lucky; the bullet took a very direct route and did minimal damage."  
  
"Thank you Dr. Berez. When can I see him?" Parker swayed a little and put her hand on the wall next to her for support.  
  
"Are you all right?" Dr. Perez supported Parker back over to the chairs. "How long have you been dizzy?"  
  
"It started today. I think it's from not eating very much at breakfast. I'll be fine. What about Broots? When can I see him?" Parker snipped as she shook off the dizziness.  
  
"He will be in and out of consciousness for the next couple of hours. I would suggest that you let me run some tests on you. From what I'm told Miss Parker, you are the new head of our defense line now. We don't need you wiped out by some sort of virus. Afterward I would suggest that you go lay down until Mr. Broots is available for visitors."  
  
"I don't need any tests. I'll eat something and I'll be fine. I have work to do." Parker got up to leave.  
  
"As one of the physicians at Angel's Hope I can order you to under go the tests. Please don't make our first working relationship be that I have to go over your head to Dr. Stedman." Dr. Berez waited for Parker's answer.  
  
Parker closed her eyes and tilted her head trying to keep her anger in check. "Fine. Do your damn tests and then let me get the hell back to work."  
  
"Then lets go to my office and get them done." Berez motioned for Parker to go down the hall. Parker went in a huff.  
  
**************************  
  
Ethan approached the motel cautiously. His mother's voice had told him where to go and to be careful. He had deducted which motels Major Charles and Emily were most likely to use. This was the second one he had visited that night. He knew from Jarod that Major Charles was armed.  
  
He slid along the row of doors as he peeked into the windows of each unit. There was a musty smell in the air and it almost made him sneeze. He looked into room number six and found what he was looking for. Sitting in the room was a woman in her 30's talking to someone else Ethan couldn't see.  
  
Ethan took out the photograph that he had gotten from Jarod and compared the two. Other than the hair color being different, it looked like the woman in the photograph. The voices were telling him that this was where he was supposed to be. Ethan ran through the options on how to enter the room and decided on the most feasible.  
  
He looked both ways to make sure no one was watching and then knocked on the door. Emily got up and turned the light off in the room. All Ethan could see was that there was movement in the room. He could hear someone come behind the door. "Who is it?" Came a husky male voice.  
  
"Major Charles. I know you don't know me, but my name is Ethan. Jarod sent me." Ethan waited to see if the man who was his father would open the door. A lump formed in his throat as he waited to see the man who he had heard so much about. He had been broken hearted when the parents who had raised him were killed and elated to find out that he had a whole family he had never met.  
  
That is what had first prompted him to listen to the voices and leave Jarod. The voices had told him that Margaret was in trouble. And though she wasn't his mother, he could tell from his mother's voice she cared deeply for this woman. He had learned from Jarod that the two had worked together to free the children of the Centre.  
  
The door opened slowly as a partial face emerged from behind the door. Major Charles looked out into the dim doorway lighting to see a young man in his twenties standing there. "Ethan?" Charles, recognizing the picture Jarod had sent him via e-mail, opened the door fully. He stuck out his head and looked up and down the row of doors. "Come in. Come in."  
  
Major Charles moved aside so that Ethan could enter. Ethan skidded past the Major and into the room and Charles closed the door. "Thank you." Ethan didn't know what to say. There was an uneasy silence.  
  
Major Charles sensed the uneasiness for the young man. Jarod had explained to him what had happened with Catherine Parker and Ethan's birth. "Emily. It's all right. You can come out. Can I get you something?"  
  
Emily stuck her head out of the bathroom. "Who is it Dad?" She came fully into the room. "Ethan!" She recognized the young man from her surveillance pictures. "Hello. How are you?" The young woman walked over and hugged her brother. "It's so good to finally meet you face to face. How did you find us?"  
  
Ethan looked between Charles and Emily. He turned to Charles. "No. I don't need anything, I'm fine." He then turned back to Emily. "It's nice to meet you too and it's hard to explain. I've only started to learn the diameters of it myself. Jarod said that it is called Inner Sense."  
  
"The voices." Emily chimed in.  
  
Charles spoke up. "You hear your mother's voice."  
  
Ethan nodded. "Yes. I have come to know one of the voices as being my mother. How did you know?"  
  
Charles smiled. "First, Emily told Jarod and I. That's how Jarod found you, Emily located you through her research. But also when Catherine was trying to help us get Jarod and Kyle out of the Centre, she told Margaret that she could sense things. I didn't know how well developed your gift was."  
  
"I've been trying to channel it. Make the voices clearer. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I have news for you."  
  
"Is Jarod all right? The last we heard from him he had returned from Carthis. Then nothing. He hasn't returned any of my e-mails."  
  
"That's why I'm here. You're both in danger. There are things going on at the Centre that makes any connection to Jarod even more valuable. I would like the two of you to go with me, but we must get the boy first."  
  
"The boy?" Emily asked.  
  
"Jarod's clone. Raines will be putting out a bounty I'm sure that will top anything he had offered before. I have to get you all to safety."  
  
"Thomas is safe with friends of mine. They are taking care of him while we tried to find Margaret." Charles' demeanor turned to concern.  
  
"Thomas?" Ethan asked not knowing that the clone had been named.  
  
"He chose it himself. Thomas is Celtic for twin." Emily smiled. "He and I both thought it was time to give him his own identity."  
  
"Well none of you are safe except where Jarod and I want to bring you. It's a place called Angel's Hope and it's the only place in the world that can stand up to the Centre."  
  
"I didn't think there was anyone who could stand up to the Centre. And you say that Jarod is there now?" Charles could tell from Ethan's facial response that he had hit on something. "What Ethan."  
  
"Ok. I'm gong to go through this real quick. Jarod found out that he has a twin. A twin that was taken at their birth. Her name is Lily. She was kept by Raines. She works for an organization that Catherine Parker started called Angel's Hope. It's where Catherine was taking the children from the Centre that she was rescuing. Well Lily wanted answers and thought the only place she could find them was..."  
  
"The Centre." Major Charles finished. Then it was like a light bulb went on. "She went to the Centre and Jarod followed her didn't he."  
  
Ethan looked down at the floor.  
  
Charles took Ethan by the arms. "Ethan. Did he go back to the Centre?" Ethan's wide eyes and silence told him everything he needed to know.  
  
**********************  
  
An Alliance has been alerted. A Player learns the secrets. The Game moves into a new phase. The Others ready for war. 


	47. Madmen and their Toys

Chapter 47: Madmen and their Toys  
  
An Alliance has been alerted. A Player learns the secrets. The Game moves into a new phase. The Others ready for war.  
  
*************************  
  
"I didn't think there was anyone who could stand up to the Centre. And you say that Jarod is there now?" Charles could tell from Ethan's facial response that he had hit on something. "What Ethan."  
  
"Ok. I'm gong to go through this real quick. Jarod found out that he has a twin. A twin that was taken at their birth. Her name is Lily. She was kept by Mr. Raines. She works for an organization that Catherine Parker started called Angel's Hope. It's where Catherine was taking the children from the Centre that she was rescuing. Well Lily wanted answers and thought the only place she could find them was..." Ethan paused.  
  
"The Centre." Major Charles finished. Then it was like a light bulb went on. "She went to the Centre and Jarod followed her didn't he."  
  
Ethan looked down at the floor.  
  
Charles took Ethan by the arms. "Ethan. Did he go back to the Centre?" Ethan's wide eyes and silence told him everything he needed to know. Then he realized how hard he had grabbed Ethan and let go. "I'm sorry Ethan. I didn't mean to grab you like that. It's just the thought of Jarod going back to that place."  
  
"I know. I watched some of Jarod's DSA's. And I know what Mr. Raines did with me. That's why I understand why he needs to get our sister out of there. And he has help. He didn't go alone. And Lily is very resourceful." Ethan watched as Major Charles took a seat on the bed. "Are you all right?"  
  
Major Charles smiled. "I'm not sure you can understand this Ethan, but being a father is a responsibility I took very seriously. When Margaret and I decided to go to NuGenisis to see if we could conceive, we never expected that the babies that we loved would be taken. Let alone there be children that we never even knew existed. Sometimes it just takes my breath away realizing what the Centre has done to us. Another daughter." Charles shook his head. Emily came and put her arm around her father.  
  
Ethan looked sad. "I understand Major Charles."  
  
Charles looked up and saw Ethan's face. "But you are all my children. I would be honored if when you felt that it was comfortable with you, that you call me Dad. Jarod told me that you grew up knowing the Clausen's as your parents, so I don't want to intrude on your feelings. But I want you, Thomas and now Lily to feel that you are as much a part of my family as Jarod and Emily."  
  
"Thank you." Ethan could hear the voices talking again and could hear his mother. "The voices are saying that we have to get going.Dad." He liked how that sounded. "Can I help you get your gear together?"  
  
Emily was already heading for the door that connected her room to Major Charles'. "I'll be just a minute." She opened the door, went through, and turned to see Ethan assisting her father in packing his gear. She smiled at the thought of her growing family. For where at one time she was all alone, she now knew she had two brothers and a sister. As she packed her gear into a duffle bag, she pondered what it would be like to have a sister to talk woman to woman with.  
  
*************************  
  
Lily had curled up in a ball and was rocking herself back and forth. The images from her childhood had continued to flash all around her. DSA after DSA of her simulations and what the Centre had done with them. Raines had called it her accomplishments. She tried to block the visions from her mind. But she couldn't help but to peek at what she was remembering more and more to be her childhood.  
  
Raines watched as she rocked. He opened her old file. She had certain defense mechanisms, the rocking one of them, which he was going to have to break her of. Yet he could see that she was still looking at the pictures, which told him that she had some sort of need to see them. Obviously she had lapses in her memory that she was filling by watching the DSA's. All he wanted was to erase the humanity that had found its way into her. He would show her who she really was.  
  
Raines looked at the other monitor. Lyle had been an easier nut to crack. After the years of conditioning he had already had here and in Asia, he wasn't fighting the re-education. Lyle was looking straight ahead watching the visual and subliminal messaging Raines had programmed for his viewing. But it was now getting late in the afternoon and it was time for his toys to rest.  
  
He pushed the button on the console and Lyle's images returned to the façade of a wall. Raines picked up the phone. "Willie. Mr. Lyle is ready to come out of his restraint chair." Raines hung up the phone as he watched Willie and Sam enter the room. They unhooked the restraints and Raines watched Lyle's reaction.  
  
Lyle sat still for a moment and then he pushed off the chair like a bullet. "You two ever do that to me again and I'll have your asses shipped to Hong Kong in twenty different boxes. Am I understood?"  
  
Willie and Sam both looked up at the camera they knew Raines was watching over. Raines' voice came over the speaker. "That's all Willie. You may go." Sam looked at Lyle with disgust and then followed Willie out the door. "How are you feeling Lyle?"  
  
Lyle went to say something and then something inside stopped him. He tried to say that Raines was a son of a bitch, but the words couldn't come out. He settled on. "Fine. Just wonderful." He shook his head not knowing why he felt restrained when there was nothing stopping him. Or was there.  
  
"That's good Lyle. I want us to be on the same working relationship we were on before." Raines wheezed over the intercom.  
  
Lyle wanted to say stabbing each other in the back, but the words were stuck in his brain. "Of course Dad, our relationship is fine." Lyle went to sit on the bed. Dad? Did he just call Raines Dad in a...loving way. Lyle put his head in his hands. What had Raines done to him?  
  
"Well I think that you should stay put for a while and then we'll see how things go." Raines pushed one of the buttons on the console and the wall behind Lyle became transparent. The change caught Lyle's eye and he turned around on the bed. He took in a sudden breath.  
  
Lily was sitting on her bed rocking back and forth. He could see her lips moving. The other walls in her room were showing pictures. Raines had kept this little device a secret from him. The walls were some form of plasma television. But on a huge scale. He had never seen anything of this magnitude before. "What is she saying?" Lyle asked out loud.  
  
Raines pushed some levers and Lyle could hear what Lily was saying.  
  
"Cree Craw Toad's Foot, Geese Walk Bare Foot. Cree Craw Toad's Foot, Geese Walk Bare Foot." She kept rocking and chanting the words that both Lyle and Raines had heard before from Jarod.  
  
Lyle crawled around on the bed till he was facing her. He touched the wall and looked at her hurt face.  
  
Raines was watching Lyle intensely. "What do you feel about this woman Lyle?"  
  
Lyle took another moment of looking at Lily and then turned around. "Nothing."  
  
***********************  
  
Mark stiffened up as he felt the hand come down on his shoulder and he heard the voice behind him. He turned slowly to see an older gentleman with graying hair standing behind him. "I'm...I'm lost. I was waiting for Dr. Raines and got turned around."  
  
"Mark. First off it's Mr. Raines now. No one calls him Doctor anymore. Second, if you plan on walking into his office, you will never walk out. My name is Sydney." Sydney reached out his hand to shake Mark's hand.  
  
Mark look around to see if anyone was watching or listening to them. He put his hand out and shook. "I may be making a big mistake, but I take it you are Jarod's Sydney."  
  
"Yes. Jarod has told me what you are attempting and I have to concur with Jarod. You will never succeed trying to reason with Raines." Mark went to say something, but Sydney stopped him. "I know about Lily and the situation. I have personally seen her and right now she is all right."  
  
"I have got to get her out of here Sydney. They will hurt her if I don't. I remember what they did to her as a child and I won't let them do it again." Mark's pleading eyes were at the point of tears.  
  
"But they will kill you and how will that help Lily? She has become a very precious commodity to Raines and he isn't going to just let her go. For now we have to get you out of here. Before Raines finds out who you are. And that he can possibly use you to break her." Sydney hoped that he could get through to the persistent man.  
  
Mark realized what Sydney was saying. "I never thought of the fact that Dr. Raines could use me to hurt her. To persuade her to do things she didn't want to do." The man started quickly looking around. "I have to get out of here."  
  
"Calmly walk toward the front entrance and exit the building." Sydney started guiding Mark toward the door.  
  
Mark stopped short. "Sydney. I already asked for Raines at the front desk. He knows someone is waiting to meet him."  
  
"Did you give them your real name?" Sydney asked now trying to calculate how to get the man out of the building.  
  
"My real first name, but not my last name." Mark looked around the lobby to make sure no one was watching them.  
  
"Fine. Go to the desk and tell them that you have another appointment and that you have to go. Then get out of here."  
  
Mark took Sydney's hand again. "Thank you Sydney. Please keep an eye on Lily. She's very special to me."  
  
"I will do my best. Now go!" Sydney started to walk in the other direction, but kept where he could see the reception desk.  
  
Mark walked nervously to the reception desk. He went back to the young woman who had first been flirting with him.  
  
"Oh there you are sir. Mr. Raines will be in his office in fifteen minutes." The young woman smiled. "He will be able to see you then."  
  
"Uh...uh I have another meeting that I need to attend. So I will have to reschedule and come back another day." Mark was sweating beads down from his forehead.  
  
"Well let me call Mr. Raines' secretary. Maybe she can look at his calendar and schedule that for you." The young woman picked up the receiver and was about to dial when a woman came up behind Mark.  
  
"Darling. I have to be at the doctor's by 3:00. If we don't leave right this moment, I will have to wait another two weeks."  
  
Mark turned around to see Becky coming up next to him. The woman at the desk dropped the receiver on the hook and looked at Mark with a death stare.  
  
"Yes. Dumpling. I was just explaining that I would have to come back another day. Thank you for your assistance." The woman just acknowledged Mark's remark with a nod.  
  
Becky started pulling Mark toward the door. She was smiling all the way till they got out to the steps. "Are you insane?" She said under her breath. "Should I have you committed? You could have blown the whole operation, let alone gotten yourself or Lily killed."  
  
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to get her out of there." Mark and Becky rounded the corner of the steps and started walking down the street. There was a black sedan with darkened windows which sat idling. Becky opened the back passenger door and pushed Mark in. Becky followed in after looking around to see if anyone was following them.  
  
Jarod was at the wheel and the minute Becky shut the door he sped off down the street.  
  
***********************  
  
Parker sat on the examination table as the technician worked to draw her blood. After the barrage the technician had gotten over whether Parker would put on the hospital gown, she was taking no chances. After pulling the needle out, Parker grabbed the Band-Aid and placed it over the cotton.  
  
"Are you people done with me yet? Or is there someplace that you haven't poked or prodded yet?" Parker's glare terrified the young woman.  
  
"Ah.. no.the doctor said you were free to go as soon as your blood was drawn." The woman worked quickly labeling the vials and placing them in the carrier. "The doctor will call you with the results Miss Parker."  
  
Parker hoped off the table. "Which way is the recovery rooms?" She tucked in her blouse and straightened her skirt.  
  
"If you go out of the clinic area, you then make a right and down the hall. The nursing staff will be glad to help you."  
  
"Fine." Parker pushed her way past the tech and headed out of the clinic. Her heels clicked on the hard tile floor. She made the right and walked down the hall. A few minutes later, she reached the nursing desk area. It was a small room surrounded with glass windows. There was an entrance on the other side of the cube from where Parker stood. She tapped on the glass with her nails.  
  
A nurse in blue scrubs with rainbows all over them came to the window. "May I help you?"  
  
Parker thought how much she wanted a cigarette or a stiff drink. "I'm looking for Mr. Broots' room."  
  
"Miss Parker I would assume. Dr. Berez said that you would be coming by. He is in room 5. Straight ahead, on the left." The woman pointed down the hall across from the station.  
  
Parker was about to strut off when she heard Jarod's voice in the back of her mind.  
  
"You don't have to be the Ice Queen here." He had said to her. At the Centre she could never show anything but the cool facade.  
  
She turned back to the nurse. "Thank you."  
  
The nurse looked up and smiled. "You're welcome." She went back to writing her notes.  
  
As she walked down the hall, she could see that there were other patients in the rooms. One door to a room was half closed. The patient's back was to the door, but Parker noticed the fire red hair. She wondered what horrible things had happened to the people in this ward. She continued on and two doors down was room number five.  
  
Parker put on her best face and opened the door. The first thing that she saw was Broots laying in a bed up against the wall to her right. He had multiple tubes going into him and coming off of him. She was taken aback by the realization of the situation. He looked so bad with this large bandage covering his shoulder.  
  
Parker walked up to the side of the bed. She spotted a chair on the other wall and pulled it up next to the bed. His hand lay by his side and Parker picked it up. She patted it softly. "I don't know how to say this, but I'm going to try. A lot of things have changed here for me." Parker stopped and took a deep breath. "At the Centre I was...always driven to succeed...to be the best...to follow in my father's footsteps. But now I realize that if Raines is my father, then I don't want to follow that path anymore. The people here have showed me that I can be Catherine Parker's daughter. And that means doing things a different way."  
  
Parker watched as Broots' chest rose and fell. The tubes dripped fluids into his damaged body. "When you first asked me to watch Debbie, I was repulsed. The thought of having to care for someone scared the hell out of me. I had always taken care of myself from the time that my mother died. Died, yeah right. Ran. Hid. Tried to survive." Parker heard her mother's voice. She had come to feel a calm when she heard it.  
  
"But by the time you came back, I had remembered what it had been like to spend time with my mother. And I realized how much Debbie missed her mother, even though their relationship hadn't been the best. I hadn't told her, but our time together meant everything to me." Parker took another deep breath.  
  
"I've come to know these past few weeks and to understand how you feel about Debbie. How you wanted to protect her from the Centre and everything that it touches. There is nothing more important in this world than her. Jarod said to me that there are turning points in one's life. That the ending of a story can be changed if you want it to. And I want it to." Parker could hear her mother say something about the children.  
  
"I don't want my children to have the Parker legacy. I don't want your child to either. I know that I have rarely said how much your friendship means to me, but it has. No matter what I have asked you to do, you did it. At first I thought it was for the sheer reason that you were scared to death of me. But you are a loyal friend and have always been there for me. You helped me learn the truth about my mother and that meant everything to me. I appreciate that immensely." Parker patted Broots' hand.  
  
"Jarod has gone back Broots. Back to the Centre to find Debbie and his sister. Not Emily and it's a long story. We will get her back Broots. If I have to go in there and personally kill Raines with my bare hands, he will not touch a single hair on Debbie's head. I promise." Parker looked off to the other side of the room.  
  
"I believe you." Came a whisper.  
  
**************************  
  
Captives are thrown into new Playing Fields. Forced to see that the Rules and Regulations don't apply. The Game has become dangerous. The strong will only survive. 


	48. Expectations

Chapter 48: Expectations  
  
Captives are thrown into new Playing Fields. Forced to see that the Rules and Regulations don't apply. The Game has become dangerous. The strong will only survive.  
  
*************************  
  
"I don't want my children to have the Parker legacy. I don't want your child to either. I know that I have rarely said how much your friendship means to me, but it has. No matter what I have asked you to do, you did it. At first I thought it was for the sheer reason that you were scared to death of me. But you are a loyal friend and have always been there for me. You helped me learn the truth about my mother and that meant everything to me. I appreciate that immensely." Parker patted Broots' hand.  
  
"Jarod has gone back Broots. Back to the Centre to find Debbie and his sister. Not Emily and it's a long story. We will get her back Broots. If I have to go in there and personally kill Raines with my bare hands, he will not touch a single hair on Debbie's head. I promise." Parker looked off to the other side of the room.  
  
"I believe you." Came a whisper.  
  
Parker swung her eyes over to Broots, who was looking at her through squinted eyes. She felt a little flush. "It's about time that you regained consciousness. I thought I was going to have to call out for Chinese." Parker gave him a little smile.  
  
"I would prefer a cheeseburger." Broots choked a little with a dry cough, his throat burning from the surgery.  
  
"Hold on. Let me get you a little water." Parker scanned the room and saw a pitcher of water and a glass on the nightstand next to Broots' bed. She got up and went around the end of the bed to the table. Poured a small glass and brought it next to Broots. "Here take a sip." Parker tried to steady Broots up with her one hand while she held the glass to his lips in the other.  
  
"Thank you." Broots winced as Parker lowered him back down onto the bed.  
  
"Sorry. Are you comfortable? Can I get the nurse to bring another pillow or medication?" Parker tried to adjust his pillow a little.  
  
Broots smiled. "OK. Who are you and where have you taken Miss Parker?"  
  
Parker sneered. "If you weren't lying there on almost your deathbed, I would shoot you."  
  
"That's the Miss Parker I know." He coughed again slightly.  
  
"OK Broots. Would you prefer I drag you out of bed and make you break into Raines' hard drive?" Parker stood up and started to pace around the room.  
  
Broots' eyes started to tear up. "If it meant getting Debbie back, I'd be out of here in a heartbeat."  
  
Parker spun around. "What did you say?"  
  
Broots repeated himself. "If it meant getting Debbie back, I'd be out of here in a heartbeat."  
  
"We know that we can't get you out, but what if we brought the computer to you? As long as you didn't overdo it." Parker walked over and picked up the phone in Broots' room. She thought for a moment, since she didn't know Dr. Stedman's number, and pressed '0'. A few seconds later an operator answered the line.  
  
"May I help you?" Came the voice over the receiver.  
  
"Yes. I'd like to talk to Dr. Stedman." Parker waited a few minutes.  
  
"Dr. Stedman." Came the psychiatrist's voice over the phone.  
  
"Dr. Stedman. I think I may have a way of locating Debbie Broots. Can I get a secure hard drive and."  
  
**************************  
  
Jarod watched as he passed the front entrance steps to the Centre. He didn't see any Sweepers coming down to street level, so he continued on his original course. He occasionally looked into the rear view mirror to see if they were being followed.  
  
"Are you insane?" Jarod asked looking partially back at Mark and partially at the road in front of him.  
  
"Becky already asked that." Mark snapped as he looked like a hurt puppy. "No! I just wanted to get her out of there. I just."  
  
"You wanted to play hero. Go in there and save her so that Lily would think of you as her knight in shining armor. But all you did was make a bad situation worse. Did anyone recognize you?" Becky could see the anger flowing off Jarod as if it were fireworks. Mark was no different.  
  
"No. I didn't give them my real name. And Raines wasn't in his office, so he ever saw me. And I wasn't playing hero. I just wanted to get her out of there before Lyle could do something or."  
  
Jarod cut him off. "So that's what this is all about. You wanted to get to her before Lyle did. The question is whether you did it out of concern that Lyle would hurt Lily or that he would show some form of feelings for her."  
  
Mark leaned forward toward the middle of the front seats. "I am not afraid of Lyle. I am more intelligent and resourceful than he will ever be! I have loved her all my life and I will never let him touch her. She could never love him like she does me."  
  
"That's the problem. You think Lily might have feelings for Lyle. She had this need to see him and you couldn't stand it to the point you were willing to walk into the Centre and get both of you killed!"  
  
Mark was to his boiling point. "Can you blame me? I spent half my life waiting for her to be my wife. But no. She goes off to find a man who has not only terrorized and mutilated people, but also killed her own brother. All because you couldn't leave well enough alone!"  
  
Now Jarod was furious. "No. None of this would be happening if you and Dr. Stedman had told Lily the truth. Instead of her having to feel like she was never complete her whole life. You had the power to rectify that and you chose to stay silent!"  
  
"Enough!" Screamed Becky as she leaned forward and pushed Mark out of the middle opening. "What has happened has happened. We can't rewrite the past for any of us." Jarod lowered his head a little knowing that Becky had felt his pain about all of this as well as Mark's. "This bickering is doing nothing but dividing us. So just get those two genius brains of yours going and figure out a way to get Lily out of there!" Becky threw herself back into her seat with a thump.  
  
Both men stayed quiet for a moment realizing that Becky was right. Their pasts would always be an enigma in their lives. Sides had been drawn years ago and none of them had a choice in the matter.  
  
Mark took Becky's hand. "I'm sorry. I know my head says to think things out, but my heart feels like it is being ripped to shreds by her decisions. I just want to be with her."  
  
Becky patted his hand softly. "Then you just have to make sure you think before you leap. It's the only way we are going to get her out of there. Because right now she isn't."  
  
Mark nodded his head in agreement. "Why is it that whenever it comes to Lily, I'm like a schoolboy again?"  
  
"Because you're in love." Came the answer from Jarod. "Maybe we both have to think with our heads and suppress our hearts." Jarod took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. "You were right. I hypnotized Lily without giving anything a second glance. I was so intent on finding out the secrets, that I never thought what the consequences to Lily would be. You have to understand Mark. Lily and I have been searching our whole lives for one single answer. Who are we? And in asking that question we also need to know. Why are we here?"  
  
Mark half smiled as he shook his head. "The basic questions all human beings ask. Except your answers have been locked away. Hidden. Kept from you at all costs. The question is - Why?"  
  
"I thought the answers were locked inside Lily. And I used her." Jarod's face turned to that of pain. "I used my own sister." Jarod's guilt enclosed him like a vice. "For that one moment, everything that I had been trying to accomplish all these years I forsake and used a human being to my own end. I guess I did learn some things from the Centre." Jarod's eyes teared up and he quickly blinked the droplets away. A traffic light turned red and Jarod stopped the car.  
  
"The end sometimes justifies the means." Becky said as she watched a woman holding gently the small hand of her daughter as they walked down the sidewalk outside the car. She wondered what it would have been like to have been able to hold her own mother's hand. To have been able to run into a grassy field with Timmy and play like normal children.  
  
"I don't think that's how it's supposed to be." Mark added as he followed Becky's gaze and saw what she had been looking at.  
  
"No it's not. It's just the way it is." Becky said looking away from the woman and pushing the thoughts out of her mind. She noticed that Jarod was pulling up to the motel. He pulled the car to the back of the motel and the three walked around the building and entered their room.  
  
*************************  
  
The pictures on the wall turned off. Lily's rocking stopped as she looked up from her knees that she had been hugging. A fury like she had never known was burning inside her and she was desperately trying to keep it under control.  
  
"How did you like the journey through the looking glass Alice?" Came Raines voice over the intercom.  
  
Lily looked up at the camera. "Remind me to kick the rabbit in the ass the next time I see him."  
  
"Well at least you still have your sense of humor. I have someone you might want to see." Raines wheezed as he flipped the room monitor. The wall between Lily and Lyle went clear.  
  
Lily could see Lyle sitting on the bed watching her. At least Raines had let him out of the chair.  
  
"Mr. Lyle. Do you have anything to say to our guest?" Raines smiled as he waited for the outcome.  
  
Lyle looked back at the camera in his room and then back to Lily. "It will go smoother for you if you cooperate with us. We could accomplish great things together if you would just give up this crazed notion of morality."  
  
Lily got up from her bed and walked over to the wall. She faced Lyle who was still sitting on the bed. "You don't mean that." Lily's eyes bore into Lyle's. "Bobby. He is nothing."  
  
Lyle smiled. "He is the Centre and the Centre is everything." Lyle got up from the bed, but then turned back around towards Lily. "And by the way. Bobby is dead. I'm Mr. Lyle."  
  
Those words set off Lily's rage and sent her into emotions that she had never felt before. The dresser that was against the wall went flying to the side. She pulled the drawers out and threw them through the air. They smashed against the wall as their contents of clothing and toiletries scattered on the floor.  
  
She turned to the desk. With both hands she pushed the monitor off and it shattered with sparks flying everywhere. It was followed by the hard drive and then the printer. She went to the bed and flipped it backwards. The pillow that had fallen at her feet she threw across the room.  
  
Lyle watched as internally he yearned to run to her, hold her, and whisper that everything would be all right. But all he could do was stand there and watch. So much rage, so much power. It excited him down to his core. He had found someone else who had as much rage inside as he did. It intoxicated him.  
  
All the other contents of Lily's room went flying in every direction until there was nothing else to throw. She spun around in circles looking for more ammunition, more items as to fuel her rage. But everything had been thrown and broken. It lay around her like the wreckage of a hurricane. The fury had nowhere else to go and she felt as if the fire consumed her energy. She looked back at Lyle and saw emptiness in his eyes. She fell down where she stood and sobbed.  
  
"Very good Lyle. I think that you can rejoin us as a loyal employee and go to your office now." Lyle saw the door to his room open and Willie was waiting in the corridor. "Willie will escort you back."  
  
Klos was standing behind Raines. "Is that a very good idea?"  
  
"We'll keep an eye on him. Right now I'm more pleased with that." Raines pointed at Lily sobbing on the floor. "The beginning of her re- conditioning is complete. It took Lyle three weeks the last time when he thought that he had broken Jarod. With my chip, I will have control of Lily within the week. I also think we may have found one of her Achilles heels. Her need to reiterate her friendship with Lyle."  
  
Klos looked perplexed. "One of them? What is the other?"  
  
Raines hit one of the monitor buttons and footage of the main lobby of the Centre appeared. "An hour ago I received a call that this man asked to speak to me at the front desk."  
  
"And?" Klos asked studying the screen.  
  
"And you now have your next assignment. If I am not mistaken, that is a young man who once apprenticed under me." Raines moved a file that he had in front of him over to Kloss. He flipped it open to reveal papers and pictures of a young boy. The last picture looked like a college photo. "His services at the Centre were terminated and he was transferred to another office because of his obsession for one of my projects."  
  
Klos smiled. "Lily. So we have another player on the field. We're not the only things from her past that she has found."  
  
"The question is who is this." Raines hit another control and the camera zoomed in on the entrance of a blond curly haired woman. "And what is her connection to all this."  
  
"I'll get right on it." Klos said as he moved toward the door.  
  
"Klos." Raines called. "Get Mr. Cox to move Debbie Broots from NuGenisis. I have a feeling that we may be having more company soon."  
  
Klos shook his head in agreement and quickly exited out the door.  
  
******************************  
  
Angelo slipped out of the vent and into the dark room with a thump. Various shelves lined the room and the door across from him had a window with blinds. Angelo crept to the door and slightly moved one of the metal bands. The attached room was a lab, but the room was dark and empty.  
  
Angelo moved to the shelves and started looking through the various boxes that were stacked on the shelves. He quickly looked from box to box, looking at the names pasted on each of the boxes. He found the one that had the name he was looking for - Lyle. He opened the box and pulled out the chain that had fallen to the bottom of the box.  
  
He reached into his pocket and pulled out what he had been hiding in his pocket. He looked at the pendant and smiled as he saw the name Lily twirl with the picture of the angel at the end of the chain. He held the two chains up next to each other and smiled. He cupped both the pendants in the palm of his hand and closed his fingers around them. Feeling the cool metal against his skin. He pushed his hand back into his pocket and continued his search.  
  
After a few moments he found Lily's box. He grabbed the cardboard box and proceeded back to the vent. He pushed a chair up under the vent and slid the box into the passageway. Using his arms, he pulled himself up backwards into the vent. Once he started into the vent, Angelo kicked the chair so that it moved to the side of the vent.  
  
He crossed his legs and lowered the grate as he slid backwards. Now he had to find Lyle.  
  
******************************  
  
Major Charles got his gear piled on the floor and went to check on Emily. Ethan peeked out the window and turned as Charles and Emily re-entered the room. "I think we better get going. There is a car waiting for us farther down the street."  
  
"Ethan. We have two vehicles that we traveled here with. Couldn't we take those?" Charles asked picking up his duffle bag.  
  
"The transportation I have is secure and non-traceable. From my last check, the Centre was close to locating your rented vehicles. Do you have items in the car that we need to get?" Ethan asked as he looked out the window again.  
  
"No. I was traveling with my duffle and my computer. Emily?" Charles turned to his daughter as he placed the room keys on top of the television.  
  
"I need to get my computer and some files I wouldn't want the Centre to see. Is it clear to get to the cars?" Emily's concerned face told Ethan that she had to retrieve her items.  
  
"I don't see anyone. So let's get them and move quickly." Ethan opened the door and Emily and Charles walked through. Ethan followed shutting off the lights and closing the door behind him. Major Charles went and opened his car, placing the keys on the front seat. He locked the door and closed it quietly. Emily went immediately to her trunk and put the key in the lock. With a turn of the key, the trunk opened. She pulled out her black bag that was carrying her computer and a briefcase. She quickly closed the trunk and joined Major Charles and Ethan in the middle of the parking lot.  
  
Suddenly Ethan went stiff. "We have to get out of here." He looked over to a group of trees that lined the one side of the motel parking lot. "Over there. Now!" Ethan grabbed Emily's briefcase for her and followed her to the trees. All three crept low behind the trees and the underbrush.  
  
Just as they were within their hideaway, a Sweeper team pulled up in a dark sedan. Four men got out and headed for the motel office. After a few moments, the men came out with the gentleman who was running the motel. They headed for Major Charles' room. Two men proceeded to go around the back of the building, while the other two moved to enter the room. The man fumbled with the keys as he tried to open the door.  
  
Ethan motioned to Major Charles and Emily for them to follow him. He led them far enough down the tree line so that they could enter the road without being seen. The three moved quickly down the road.  
  
"Ethan. I'm not sure it's so safe to be out here in the open. What if another Sweeper team shows up?" Charles was looking all around.  
  
"Wouldn't matter. There's our ride." Ethan pointed to a van with tinted windows that was parked at the side of the road. It was half hidden by a large advertisement road sign. As the trio approached the van, a man dressed in a dark suit got out of the passenger side door.  
  
"Sweepers!" Charles yelled as he tried to calculate how to get Emily to safety.  
  
"No. Major Charles, I mean Dad. They're part of that group I was telling you about. They're not with the Centre. They're here to help us." Ethan jogged up to the one man with Charles and Emily cautiously approaching behind him.  
  
"Sir. We were just about to come in after you. We saw the Centre vehicle pass us a little while ago." The man said as he took off his dark glasses.  
  
Emily looked at the man wondering why grown men found it necessary to wear sunglasses in the evening hours.  
  
The man offered his hand to Major Charles and he accepted the man's salutation with apprehension. "Major Charles. Lt. Pendleton, retired, at your service." The man pulled back his hand and retrieved an ID wallet out of his jacket and showed his credentials. "If you put your gear in here." The Lieutenant opened the side door of the van. "We can get moving. It won't take that Sweeper team long to realize you just left."  
  
"Lieutenant. Is the United States government involved with our situation now?" Major Charles helped Emily into the van.  
  
The man smirked. "No Sir. The Angel's Hope team recruited me after my hometown was saved from some scrupulous developers. So upon my retirement, I went to work for them. You can trust them Sir. I have been on numerous missions with them and they have helped everyone they set out to. Now if you wouldn't mind." The Lieutenant motioned for the van opening.  
  
Major Charles hopped into the passenger seat next to Emily and Ethan followed jumping into the seat behind them. Lt. Pendleton closed the door, took a quick sweep of the area and got into the van.  
  
Ethan tapped Charles on the shoulder. "You will have to give them directions as to where Thomas is."  
  
Charles shook his head. "Ethan. I'm not sure we should do that. Thomas is safe where he is. The Centre won't be able to find him."  
  
Pendleton had been listening to the conversation. "Do you want the monitor Ethan?"  
  
Ethan shook his head in agreement. He reached between his father and Emily and took the instrument Pendleton handed him. "Listen to this Dad." He handed his father what looked to be a walkie-talkie. "It's a high tech surveillance monitor. The microphone is hidden in the Sweeper's car."  
  
Charles took the walkie-talkie and listened. He could hear voices getting closer to wherever the microphone was. Then clear reception. "They're gone. Yes Mr. Raines. We will proceed to the next target and report back. A team will stay here in case they re-show at this location. Yes. Sir. Yes. Sir."  
  
Charles looked at Ethan. "Thomas is the next target?"  
  
"Yes. If we don't leave now, we may not make it there in time." Ethan was getting nervous.  
  
"We'll need a plane." Charles said. "And a secure airfield."  
  
"No problem." Pendleton nodded to the driver and the van took off.  
  
*************************  
  
Willie and Sam were walking Lyle to the elevator when Willie's cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and hit the button. "Hello. Yes Mr. Raines. We're presently escorting Mr. Lyle back to his office as you instructed. No. No problems. Yes. We will go there immediately." Willie pushed the end button and put the phone back in his pocket. He turned to Sam. "Mr. Raines wants us to meet the clean up team at Lily's room. They're going to have to clean up her mess and Mr. Raines thinks there may be trouble. We're suppose to restrain her in a conditioning chair in the room across the hall once we get there."  
  
Sam took a side-glance at Lyle. "What about him?"  
  
Willie smiled. "Watch this." Willie put himself directly in front of Lyle. "Mr. Raines said for you to proceed to your office Mr. Lyle. You will work for a while and then go home. Do you understand?"  
  
Inside Lyle wanted to scream for Willie to go to hell, but again the words could not make it to his lips. A robotic response came in its place. " I understand perfectly. Go to my office, do some work, and then home." He turned to face the elevator doors.  
  
Willie and Sam headed down the hall. Sam shook his head. "Never thought I'd see the day when they would be able to clip his wings."  
  
Lyle's face was blank, but he was boiling inside. He was going to kill the two of them when he regained his sanity. But Raines was going to be first. A slow death, a cruel death.  
  
The elevator doors opened and Lyle stepped in. He pushed the button to go to the Tower. The elevator started to move and he heard a noise above him. Lyle looked up to see the roof door open and Angelo dropped through the hole.  
  
Mechanically Lyle went to reach for the elevator phone. Angelo, who had landed on the floor of the car, pushed his body in front of the door that opened for the phone.  
  
"I have to call Mr. Rain." Lyle stopped in mid sentence as Angelo brought out the pendant and threw it over Lyle's head. Angelo went and sat in the corner of the elevator.  
  
Lyle felt a sharp pain on the side of his head. He grabbed his head and yelled in pain. "Ahhhhhh." Lyle fell back against the wall of the elevator. "What the hell are you doing out of your room? Ahhhh." Lyle was shaking his head and stumbling around the elevator. Flashes of what Raines was showing him ran before him. "No. I am not you're pawn." Lyle fought to regain his personality. He slid down the wall of the elevator till he was sitting on the floor across from Angelo.  
  
Angelo looked at Lyle with concern. "Can you help Lily now?" Angelo did not move from his space.  
  
Lyle had buried his face in his hands. His body was shaking as he fought the programming that Raines had put him through. His head was throbbing as the pendant tried blocking the transmission of Raines' device. "Son of a bitch that hurts." He looked at Angelo through squinted eyes. "Lily's in trouble. Willie and Sam are on their way to restrain her. We have to get her out of there before Raines puts her in that mind warp contraption."  
  
Angelo turned and pushed the button for SL27. "Need code."  
  
Lyle crawled to the keypad and punched in the numbers. He turned and grabbed Angelo by the collar of his shirt. "When we get to her, you get her out of here. Don't tell me how. Just get her out of here. Do you understand?"  
  
Angelo shook his head in agreement. "Lyle has been compromised."  
  
Lyle closed his eyes trying to keep the images he saw out of his mind. "Yes. I can't trust myself even with this little ditty on. Just get her out of here." The door of the elevator opened. Angelo helped Lyle up and helped him partially down the hall. Then Lyle pushed away and staggered a little farther down the hall. He then took a deep breath and straightened himself up. "Let's get her out of here."  
  
The two men continued down the hall.  
  
****************************  
  
The door to Lily's room opened. Willie and Sam walked in and surveyed the room. There was a group of men behind them. Lily was sitting on the floor. One leg was under her body and the other bent up with Lily's arms wrapped around her knee. Lily looked sideways at Willie and Sam with hate in her eyes.  
  
Willie approached Lily first slowly. "Now we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way."  
  
"Bite me." Lily said as she swung her body around bringing herself into a fighting crouch.  
  
Sam followed Willie. Willie went to Lily's left stepping over the debris as he went. "All right. We do this the hard way." Sam went to Lily's right.  
  
Lily went to stand and take Willie out, when Willie pulled his 9mm. "Stay right there."  
  
Lily scanned around looking for something that she could use as a weapon. She slowly tried to back up.  
  
Sam now pulled his 9mm out. "Now why don't you use that genius IQ of yours and realize there is no way out."  
  
Lily bantered back. "And I'm sure that you are a Rhoades Scholar yourself." With that Lily flipped herself sideways and over the desk. She landed and proceeded to jump items heading for the door.  
  
The men at the door started to back up, being startled by Lily's move and afraid of what she might do. Lily was about to barrel through the door, when it shut tighter than a drum.  
  
Reaching the closed door, Lily kicked the door and tried to find some sort of entry code pad. She then felt the barrel of a gun pushed into her back. She stopped her activity and stood still. "Had to give it a try."  
  
"If it weren't for the fact that Mr. Raines would kill me where I stand, I would pop you right here." Willie said as he grabbed Lily's arm. Sam came up and grabbed her other.  
  
"One day when I get a hold of you, you will wish he had." Lily said as the door opened again and she was dragged across the hall through the group of men. As she was pulled through the doorway of the room across the hall, she could see the chair that Lyle had been put in. She dug her feet into the floor as Willie and Sam struggled to pull the woman towards the chair. "No. I'm not going in that thing."  
  
Willie pushed her into the chair as Sam tried to keep her from getting out. He held her legs down as Willie held her arms. Lily struggled to get out of the chair, but first felt the leg restraints click over and then the arm restraints.  
  
Willie and Sam backed away as Lily thrashed in the chair trying to free herself.  
  
"It won't do you any good to struggle." Came Raines' voice over the intercom. "Besides. In a little while you won't care anymore."  
  
Lily felt two metal plates come up next to her ears from the back of the chair. The plates kept her from being able to move her head very far from the chair.  
  
Sam took a leather strap that was attached to the chair and tightened it across Lily's chest. "Snug as a bug in a rug."  
  
Willie motioned for Sam to follow him out of the room. The door slid shut behind them. In the hallway, the various workers in jumpsuits were cleaning up the mess in Lily's previous quarters.  
  
Back in Lily's new room, things were about to begin. Through the speakers in the plates, Lily could hear Raines. "Now this will go so much easier if you don't fight it. Lyle was cooperative and he is much happier now."  
  
"I don't believe anyone could be happy at the Centre. And I will fight you tooth and nail till the day I die." Lily pulled one last time at her hand restraints, but knew that even her advanced training couldn't help her break through metal.  
  
"I'll see you in the morning Lily and I'm sure that by then you and I will have a nice conversation as to the whereabouts of your brother and Miss Parker." With that Raines was gone and images began to play on the wall in front of her.  
  
Pictures flashed of men killing other men and words were sporadically shown in between the pictures. Obey. Kill. Conform. Lily tried closing her eyes so that the she couldn't see the images, but music was playing in the speakers next to her ears. And the words played over and over until the programming forced her to open her eyes. As she watched, a single tear ran down her cheek.  
  
***************************  
  
Lyle heard footsteps coming up the hall. Looking around quickly, he pushed Angelo into the room they had just past. Both looked around for somewhere to hide, choosing the desk that sat in the far corner. Angelo tucked himself under the desk as Lyle crouched next to him.  
  
Willie and Sam stopped just outside the door. Lyle moved to go after the men, but Angelo grabbed his shirt and shook his head no. Lyle lowered himself down and turned to rest his back up against the desk drawer. He closed his eyes to fight the anger he felt swelling up inside him.  
  
Willie and Sam stood talking for a while. Lyle looked at his watch and several times tried to get up to go after the two men. Angelo pulled him back down and kept mouthing the words Lily first. Willie's phone rang and after a conversation that Lyle couldn't hear, the two men left.  
  
"Finally." Lyle huffed as he got up and went to the door. He poked his head outside the doorframe. Willie and Sam were no where in sight. "Come on airhead. We have business to get to." He clutched the side of his head, as pain shot through him like lightening.  
  
"You OK?" Angelo asked as he joined Lyle at the doorway. "Memories are painful."  
  
Lyle turned to yell at the man, when the truth of what he had said hit him. The memories were what make all this even more unbearable. He remembered a time when things were so much easier. When he could run in the fields of Nebraska and smell the flowers. He knew then that there was someone he wanted to share that experience with. He now knew it was Lily. "Yes. They are. Let's go."  
  
Angelo passed Lyle in the hallway and peeked around the corner where the corridor turned off. The hallway to the living quarters was clear. "Come on." Angelo said as he rushed down the hall.  
  
"Angelo wait." Lyle half whispered as he watched the man run down the hall. He threw his hands up in frustration and chased after Angelo. He looked into the empty rooms as he went along. Finally he caught up with Angelo. "Are you insane? Forget I even asked that."  
  
Angelo was running his hands over a closed door. "Lily. In trouble."  
  
Lyle remembered seeing a keypad light up when Willie had left his room. "Angelo. Somewhere here is a hidden keypad. It's..." Lyle suddenly stopped as he heard voices around him. He spun around and looked up and down the hallway. "Who's there?" Lyle asked, his eyes frantic.  
  
Angelo smiled as he tapped Lyle's head. "Inner Sense. Like your sister. Like your Mother. Listen to her."  
  
Lyle was about to argue when he realized the voices were murmuring numbers. Lyle ran his hand down the wall trying to activate the keypad. Angelo stopped Lyle's hand, closed his eyes, and started moving Lyle's hand till suddenly the keypad appeared. Lyle started punching in the numbers he was hearing. "Thank you Mother."  
  
Angelo smiled as the door opened. "Catherine Parker." The two men entered the room and spotted Lily in the chair. She was staring straight ahead as pictures flashed before her. Lyle stopped in his tracks and started watching the images. Angelo shook him till he responded. "Don't look."  
  
Lyle shook his head while he moved to the chair. He looked for manual controls for the chair and found them on the side. "Here are the controls. He started hitting the buttons until the cuffs released. He scooped Lily up in his arms as he tried to keep himself and Lily from looking at the images on the wall.  
  
Lily just stared ahead as Lyle headed to the doorway with Angelo at his heels. She then turned her head and looked Lyle in the face. "Lyle." She took both her hands and cradled Lyle's face. She pulled his head to her and kissed him fully. Lyle stopped as they deepened the kiss.  
  
Angelo stopped stunned at what he was seeing. "No time. No time."  
  
Lyle pulled away from Lily. "Lily?" She moved to kiss him again, when Lyle spotted movement in the hallway. He turned his head; his lips still half attached to Lily's.  
  
Raines stood there with Klos, Willie, and Sam beside him. "Oh look. It's like old home week on SL-27."  
  
Lyle's heart sank as he saw the look in Raines' eyes.  
  
**************************  
  
Memories are pictures we paint in our mind. They can be used to bring happiness and pain. The Game revolves around the existence of them. Will the Players be able to maneuver around them? 


	49. Persuasions and Realizations

Chapter 49: Persuasions and Realizations  
  
Memories are pictures we paint in our mind. They can be used to bring happiness and pain. The Game revolves around the existence of them. Will the Players be able to maneuver around them?  
  
*************************  
  
The two men entered the room and spotted Lily in the chair. She was staring straight ahead as pictures flashed before her. Lyle stopped in his tracks and started watching the images. Angelo shook him till he responded. "Don't look."  
  
Lyle shook his head while he moved to the chair. He looked for manual controls for the chair and found them on the side. "Here are the controls. He started hitting the buttons until the cuffs released. He scooped Lily up in his arms as he tried to keep himself and Lily from looking at the images on the wall.  
  
Lily just stared ahead as Lyle headed to the doorway with Angelo at his heels. She then turned her head and looked Lyle in the face. "Lyle." She took both her hands and cradled Lyle's face. She pulled his head to her and kissed him fully. Lyle stopped as they deepened the kiss.  
  
Angelo stopped stunned at what he was seeing. "No time. No time."  
  
Lyle pulled away from Lily. "Lily?" She moved to kiss him again, when Lyle spotted movement in the hallway. He turned his head; his lips still half attached to Lily's.  
  
Raines stood there with Klos, Willie, and Sam beside him. "Oh look. It's like old home week on SL-27."  
  
Lyle's heart sank as he saw the look in Raines' eyes. He pulled away fully from Lily's kiss and she placed her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Seems the conditioning has started to take affect Mr. Klos, but the sub routine has been interrupted. We will have to continue tomorrow. As for you Lyle, you disappoint me." Raines crossed him arms.  
  
"It's not like it would be the first time." Lyle bantered back.  
  
Angelo moved up next to Lily, her pendant clutched secretly in his hand. "Please work." He whispered.  
  
"Angelo. What are you doing here?" Raines wheezed.  
  
Angelo moved so he was half behind Lyle, but close to Lily. "Nothing."  
  
Lily started to blink her eyes and shake her head. Her head was throbbing. "What's going on? Bobby, why are you carrying me?"  
  
"Damn." Raines said. "She wasn't under long enough for it to fully take."  
  
Klos thought for a moment. "Why don't we put her through the maze tomorrow? It might help us gauge how much she has retained."  
  
Lily whispered to Lyle. "Put me down and back up." Lyle did as he was instructed and let Lily's long legs hit the floor. She took her defensive stance. "I don't feel like jumping through your hoops anymore."  
  
Sam took a deep breath knowing that a fight was about to ensue. He almost wished that it were Jarod standing there; at least he hadn't been half the pain in the ass this broad had been. He was just about to move towards Lily, when Klos walked out in front of him.  
  
"You want to play little girl? Let's go." Klos rushed toward Lily who used Lyle to flip sideways. Lyle went flying backwards onto the floor as Klos hit him in the mid section in his pursuit of Lily.  
  
Willie and Sam went to assist Klos, but Raines stopped them. "Let them be." His eyes glistened with enjoyment as he watched the two opponents' circle and assess each other.  
  
Lyle pushed himself up against the wall so that he had a front row seat to the rumble. "Bring him down Lily."  
  
Raines' head whipped as he stared at Lyle. "We're going to have to have a discussion about loyalty Lyle when this is done."  
  
Lyle sneered back at Raines. "There won't be a need for any discussion - I'm with her."  
  
Lily assessed the situation. "Lyle. Where is the elevator?"  
  
"Back behind you. Around the corner and 200 feet down the corridor." Lyle inched his way up the wall.  
  
Lily went to finish the circle when Klos stopped blocking her way to the elevator. "When this starts, take Angelo and get to the elevator. I'll meet you there."  
  
"Not likely." Hissed Klos.  
  
"We'll see." Lily responded as she tried to maneuver Klos into giving Angelo enough room to run. She rushed at the man trying to spin him out of the way. He grabbed her arms and they both went flying onto the ground. Lily broke free and rolled to her feet.  
  
Klos came at her, but Lyle tripped him sending him flying across the hallway floor. Yelling explanatives as he came crashing into the wall.  
  
Raines became enraged. "Foul. Not good show Lyle."  
  
"Sue me." Lyle grabbed Angelo and pushed him down the hall. Lily took a quick look at where Klos was and tried to follow in pursuit.  
  
"Get them you idiots." Raines screamed at Willie and Sam who after a moment of confusion ran after the three escapees. Klos got to his feet and sprinted after Lily. He threw himself into her mid-back and sent her flying face first onto the floor. Willie and Sam dodged the tumbling mess by jumping over them as they pursued Lyle and Angelo.  
  
Lyle turned to see Lily sprawling across the floor, Klos taking his elbow and ramming it into her back. Without thinking he turned to help her, when Willie came barreling over the two rolling on the floor and pinned Lyle to the wall. "Angelo, get out of here."  
  
Angelo seeing the mess going on behind him and Sam quickly approaching sprinted down the remainder of the hallway to the elevator. He pushed the button and jumped in as the elevator doors quickly opened. He slammed his finger on the Close Door button repeatedly, the door closing on Sam's face. He punched in the number for SL 15. He had to get to his room and then hide. He was needed. He knew that. And if they found him, Dr. Raines would punish him.  
  
Lily struggled to get Klos off her back when she felt the coldness of a gun on the back of her head. "Afraid you couldn't take me without the armory?" She taunted Klos.  
  
Klos rolled Lily over and pinned her to the floor. He bent down so that he could whisper in her ear. "When this is all over, I will take you. And then we'll see how powerful you are then."  
  
As Klos was bringing his face over hers, Lily spit at him. "In your dreams."  
  
"Klos!" Raines screamed. "Get her to her room. I've had enough of this for today. Willie. Lock him up in his room again. Put guards in the hallway. And find Angelo!" Raines turned and pulled his air tank back down the hall.  
  
"Move." Klos said as he picked Lily up by her one arm and pulled her down the hallway.  
  
"You probably don't get to date much the way you treat a woman." Lily spat as she was shoved down the hallway.  
  
Lyle yanked his arm from Willie, who had been joined by Sam. "Get your hands off me you imbecile." Lyle tried to catch up with Lily and Klos, but Klos pushed Lily into her room just as Lyle reached the doorway.  
  
"Lily." Lyle tried to yell into the room as the door closed. He pushed Klos' shoulder so the man was facing him. "You touch her and I will kill you. And I know many ways in which to do it."  
  
'Big talk from a man who is getting shoved into a room himself." Klos motioned for Willie to move Lyle.  
  
Lyle walked proudly to the opening to his room. He stopped short of going in and turned to Klos. "Asia is a great training ground. I wouldn't underestimate me." Willie pushed Lyle into his room.  
  
Lily looked around her room. It was exactly like her other. The chair was now gone. "Thank God for small favors." She said as she examined the floor where the chair had been. There were lines on the floor. She surmised that there was a trap door that must open to allow the chair to rise. She got back up and looked around. She was tired and probably could sleep for days, but she spotted the computer. And she remembered what Sydney had said.  
  
"There is no Sanctuary for you here." Lily remembered Sydney's phrase as he had tapped the computer with his hand. At the time she had thought it strange that Sydney would use such a strange word. "I hope that you can come to trust me in the future." She knew that Jarod trusted Sydney, but could she?  
  
Lily sat herself in front of the computer. She pushed the on button and waited for the computer to boot up. She pushed the monitor button on and put the keyboard in a comfortable position. Once the screen was through all it's diagnostic screens, the main information screen came on. She started searching the files, looking for one specific folder - Sanctuary.  
  
**************************  
  
Ethan, Major Charles, and Emily sat in the back of a dark blue van. They had landed two hours ago at the coordinates that Major Charles had given. They were pulling up onto a dirt road and passed under a wooden sign that announced that they were at the Triple P Ranch. The van passed fields full of cows and horses. The view was extraordinary.  
  
As they approached the main house, there was not a sign of movement. As the van came to a stop, the front door opened and an elderly gentleman stepped out. He waited for the door of the van to open. Ethan was the first to open the door and get out.  
  
"May I help you young man?" The older gentleman asked.  
  
"We're here to see Thomas." Ethan stated as he helped Emily out of the vehicle.  
  
"Don't know no Thomas. Just me and the Mrs. living here. You must have the wrong ranch." The man urged.  
  
Just then Major Charles got out of the van. "It's all right Jim, these are my children."  
  
"Charles, you old fly boy." The man said as he smiled and came to shake Charles' hand. "What are you doing back so soon?"  
  
"We have a situation old friend. We need to get Thomas out of here." Charles followed Jim into the house followed by Emily and then Ethan. The house was decorated in a country motif with little cows everywhere.  
  
Ethan was following his father when he noticed that Emily had gone into the living room. "Ethan. Look at the cute little cows. Aren't they adorable?"  
  
Ethan looked at the young woman. "If you say so. I think we better stick with Jim." They went down the hallway that Charles had gone down and it led to a study. There were old comfortable furniture and wood tables throughout the room. There was a large wooden bookcase on the one wall. A grandfather clock stood in one corner. But when they got fully into the room, no one was there.  
  
"Hello. Dad?" Emily called out. She looked back out into the hallway and came back into the room. "Where did they go?"  
  
Ethan was about to respond when the bookcase behind him started to move. Ethan turned in surprise as Charles, Jim, and Thomas emerged from behind the bookcase.  
  
"Cool." Emily said as she went over to investigate the bookcase. "Was this originally built with the ranch?"  
  
Jim smiled. "Yes. This ranch was a stop along the Underground Railroad. With a little bit of improvements, we have a safe little area in the house where we can observe everything on the ranch. Would you like to see?"  
  
"Oh yes, please." Emily followed Jim into the bookcase and he showed her how the door closed.  
  
Charles brought Thomas over to Ethan. "Ethan. I would like you to meet your brother Thomas."  
  
Thomas produced his hand and the two shook. "It's nice to meet you Thomas. I've heard a lot about you."  
  
"Dad has been telling me about you. Seems you have had as strange a life as I have. Seems par for the course for being in this family. Do you like ice cream? We have some in the freezer." Thomas went to leave the room when Charles stopped him.  
  
"I'm sorry Thomas, but we don't have time. Ethan says that the Centre has found you. So we have to leave."  
  
"I don't want to leave. I like it here. I can ride the horses and milk the cows. Run in the fields. It's not fair. I can hide if the Sweepers come." Thomas pleaded.  
  
"Son. I know that you just want to be free to explore normal things, but it's not safe for you. Or for Jim and Delores. We would be putting them in harms way if we left you here. And there are other factors that are going on that we need for you to come with us." Charles put his hand on the young man's shoulder, but he pulled himself away.  
  
Ethan went over to Thomas. "I know that life has been anything but great for you, but I promise where we are going you will have a little freedom. And there are other children your age to play with."  
  
"I hate this." Thomas crossed his arms and walked over to the window. After a few moments, he spoke. "Where are we going?"  
  
"A place called Angel's Hope. It has other special children there and facilities you wouldn't believe." Ethan explained as he came up behind the young man. "It will only be for a little while, I promise. We just have to give Jarod and Lily a little more time."  
  
Thomas turned to Ethan. "Who's Lily?"  
  
Ethan put his arm around the young man. "I'll explain it on our way to the airport. It's a long story."  
  
Thomas went and packed his bag and the group jumped into the van. Thomas listened in amazement as Ethan told the story.  
  
****************************  
  
Broots dictated to Parker what she had to input onto the computer. The laptop computer had come within the hour and they had been working on and off trying to get into the Centre files. It had been obvious from the beginning that the Centre had blocked Broots' codes, but Broots also said that he had ways around them.  
  
Since Parker had two good hands, she had volunteered to do the typing. Broots had been amazed at the speed at which Parker typed. He had never thought about her being a typist much. But she maneuvered around the keys as if she were an expert.  
  
"I don't know Miss Parker. Maybe we're not going to be able to break into the main frame. Maybe I'm never going to see Debbie again. I failed her." Broots' eyes were beginning to water.  
  
Parker looked Broots in the eyes. "Toughen up Broots. What are you a damn jellyfish? This isn't the family picnic. This is Debbie's life we're talking about and I'm not about to let that ghoul keep her." She pointed her finger into his chest. "You are going to stay clear-headed and focus. I can't do this by myself this time. I need your knowledge and expertise. Now get me the hell into those files!" Parker barked.  
  
Broots closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "OK. We have to find a way into the main frame that's not so protected." He thought for a moment. "How about the sanitation program? It's a level 5 security access. Anyone can get into it. Especially the city service department."  
  
Broots told Parker how to get into the city database. "We're in."  
  
"OK. Now access their garbage schedules and it should lead us to the automated link." Broots held his breath as Parker typed in the codes.  
  
"I'm in. Now what do I do Broots?" Parker had a sparkle in her eyes.  
  
"We have to see if we can access the security grid for SL-27." Broots leaned over a little more and winced as the pain shot though his shoulder. "Syd and I found out before all this happened that they were manning SL-27 again. It is operational. I never thought that Debbie would have to live in that dungeon."  
  
"If we can all pull this off, she never will." Parker typed and moved from system to system. Broots helped her navigate through the systems, when they realized that they had secured a line to SL-27. "The rooms are all empty. Could we have been mistaken? Where else would they have taken them?" She slammed her hand down and looked up in the air in frustration.  
  
"Miss Parker. Look." Parker turned back to the screen and she caught a glimpse of someone on a computer. "Who is that? She's too old to be Debbie."  
  
"That is Jarod's sister Lily." Parker looked at the screen. "Can we move in to see what she is typing?"  
  
"Click there and hit the word zoom." Broots pointed to where she had to click.  
  
"There. She's entering a password - Sanctuary." Parker could barely make it out.  
  
"She must have meet Sydney. Sanctuary is the file that Sydney and I set up to save the plans we found of SL-27."  
  
"So Sydney is helping Lily. I guess he swapped one lab rat for another." Parker said as she tried to see if Lily was having success accessing the file.  
  
"I don't think Sydney thinks of anyone as a lab rat. If he's helping her, it's because whatever Raines is doing to her must be bad." Broots leaned back against his pillow and rested for a minute.  
  
"Sorry Broots. Old habits die hard." Parker moved the monitor so that she could get a better look at Lily. She now noticed how tired Lily looked and rumbled. Like she had been fighting. "You go girl. Don't let them get you down. Broots is there anyway we can access that file and send the information to Jarod?"  
  
"We can try, but I can't guarantee that they won't detect us and block us out. I'm surprised they haven't found us by now. Get into the H drive and go to the..." Parker cut Broots off.  
  
"Wait Broots. I want to check the other rooms first. Lily looks pretty safe right now. Let's go through the next room." Parker ran down the one side of rooms with no hits. She started going up the next side when she spotted Lyle walking around his room. "Oh look. Brother dear has been given an ambassador suite. I guess Raines didn't like him getting caught up with Lily." She looked at Lyle and could see that his lips were moving. "Broots. How do I get audio on this thing? I want to know what Lyle is saying."  
  
Broots leaned over with another wince and pushed the buttons. "There."  
  
Parker raised the volume and could now hear what Lyle was saying. "I'll do whatever you want. I'll sit in your mind warp chair for however long you want if you just let Lily go. Just don't hurt her anymore."  
  
Parker sat shocked at hearing her brother's emotional plea.  
  
Broots looked at the screen confused. "Did I just hear Lyle ask for someone to be let go free? Lyle?"  
  
"These Pretenders have a way of getting under your skin. He's trying to protect her." Parker saw concern in Lyle's eyes. He was afraid. Whatever had happened, he knew that Lily was in trouble. "Let's get searching the other rooms and then get this information to Jarod. I think they are going to have to speed their time line up."  
  
Broots saw the concern in Parker's face. "We're in big trouble here aren't we?"  
  
Parker half smiled at Broots. "Don't worry about that. Concentrate on Debbie. I'll protect everyone here."  
  
"You're working with them. For real. You've left the Centre." Broots said more as a statement than surprise. "It's about time someone brought Raines to his knees."  
  
Parker patted Broots' shoulder. "Finally getting a backbone. Good. You're going to need it. If Jarod doesn't succeed, then yes I am working with them and I will protect this place with my life. My Mother did."  
  
Broots could see that something in Parker had changed. "Your mother?"  
  
"I found out that she founded this place. It's called Angel's Hope." Parker finished the remainder of the rooms. "Debbie is not in any of these rooms. I'm going to see if I can access the floor records." Parker fiddled with the files and came upon the roster. "Lily and Lyle are the only occupants right now. Wait. Here. They are transferring her from NuGenesis."  
  
"Why did they have her at NuGenesis?" Broots asked knowing that it was a fertility clinic.  
  
"I don't know Broots. Maybe they wanted a place to hide her where they wouldn't think we'd look. We need to get all this information to Jarod." Parker started typing in the e-mail address that Jarod had given her. She attached the file from Sanctuary and typed a message about Debbie being moved from NuGenesis. She hit send. "I hope he gets this in time."  
  
***************************  
  
Becky sat on the bed as the two men took the two chairs at small table. They were discussing the best way to approach the Centre while eating pizza, when Jarod noticed that Becky looked upset. He put his piece of pizza down and went and kneeled in front of her. "Are you still angry about earlier? I'm really so sorry that Mark and I went at each other that way. It was inexcusable."  
  
Becky shook her head. "No. It's not that." She lowered her head and Jarod was sure now something was wrong.  
  
"What's going on Becky?" Jarod asked as he leaned onto her knees to see into her eyes.  
  
"I don't want to worry anyone if I'm wrong, but I think something happened with Lily, Lyle, and Angelo. I got this feeling that there was a fight and that Angelo was running. Now all I feel is my heart racing like I am very nervous. Jarod I think Angelo is in trouble."  
  
"I wonder if they tried to escape with Lily and Lyle getting caught. That would leave Angelo running from Centre personnel. I hate not being in control." Jarod hit his hand down on the bed.  
  
"I wouldn't put it pass Lily to try and get the three of them out of there. The question is what punishment they will get in retribution?" Mark stated as he stood up and tossed the pizza on the plate. "Suddenly I don't feel so hungry."  
  
"We can't panic." Jarod went and grabbed his computer. "I need to see if I can break into the Centre mainframe and access the schematics for SL-27. Without some sort of map we're dead in the water." Jarod started to access the Centre files when the You've Got Mail flashed on the screen. He clicked it open and he saw the Angel's Hope e-mail. After double clicking on the line, Parker's e-mail opened up. He read it quickly and then opened the attachment. "I love that woman."  
  
"What is it Jarod?" Becky asked coming to stand behind Jarod with Mark next to her.  
  
"The plans for SL-27. Mr. Broots got her into the Centre mainframe. But Lily is going to have to hold on for a little longer. We're going to a place called NuGenesis."  
  
"The Centre fertility clinic?" Mark asked. "Why are we going there? Lily needs us."  
  
"How do you know about a Centre fertility clinic?" Becky asked looking at Mark suspiciously. "How many of our secrets do you know?"  
  
Mark hesitated in answering, so Jarod stepped in. "We don't have time for this. Debbie Broots is being transferred from NuGenesis to the Centre. We have to get her before they can transport her. We'll need stealthier transportation than that car. Mark, do ride a bike?" Jarod went and got his gun and a few other items.  
  
Mark's eyes grew wide and then he acted as if nothing were wrong. "You mean a motorcycle. Of course. I know how to ride a Hog."  
  
"Let me tell the guards that we're going." Becky pulled out her phone and spoke quickly. "We're set to go."  
  
Becky and Jarod just looked at Mark. "I have two motorcycles in a shed in the back. We'll take them." Jarod headed for the door with Becky following him. Mark just hung his head and followed the two out of the door.  
  
The trio approached the shed and Jarod undid the lock. After opening the doors, Jarod went in and pulled out the first bike, then the second. "OK. Which bike do you want Mark?"  
  
Mark looked at Becky. "I'll shoot you to see who gets to ride alone."  
  
"Chicken. Once, twice, three, shoot. Once, twice, three, shoot. Once, twice, three, shoot. That's it."  
  
Jarod spent fifteen minutes showing the two how to ride a motorcycle. A few minutes later the roar of motorcycles filled the air. Two motorcycles flew down the road into the dusk of night.  
  
**************************  
  
In the Game of Life decisions are crucial. The Rage of War dictate decisions must be made. One Player had to decide between two loves. Did he make the right choice? 


	50. Propositions

Chapter 50: Persuasions and Realizations  
  
In the Game of Life decisions are crucial. The Rage of War dictate decisions must be made. One Player had to decide between two loves. Did he make the right choice?  
  
*************************  
  
"We don't have time for this. Debbie Broots is being transferred from NuGenesis to the Centre. We have to get her before they can transport her. We'll need stealthier transportation than that car. Mark, do you ride a bike?" Jarod went and got his gun and a few other items.  
  
Mark's eyes grew wide and then he acted as if nothing were wrong. "You mean a motorcycle. Of course. I know how to ride a Hog."  
  
"Let me tell the guards that we're going." Becky pulled out her phone and spoke quickly. "We're set to go."  
  
Becky and Jarod just looked at Mark. "I have two motorcycles in a shed in the back. We'll take them." Jarod headed for the door with Becky following him. Mark just hung his head and followed the two out of the door.  
  
The trio approached the shed and Jarod undid the lock. After opening the doors, Jarod went in and pulled out the first bike, then the second. "OK. Which bike do you want Mark?"  
  
Mark looked at Becky. "I'll shoot you to see who gets to ride alone."  
  
"When Lily tried to get you to ride a motorcycle, you told her she was crazy. You're just chicken." Becky put her fist up. "Ready? Once, twice, three shoot. Once, twice, three shoot. Once, twice, three shoot. That's it."  
  
Jarod spent fifteen minutes showing the two how to ride a motorcycle. A few minutes later the roar of motorcycles filled the air. Two motorcycles flew down the road into the dusk of night.  
  
Two hours later, the two motorcycles pulled up to the perimeter of the NuGenesis property. The figure holding onto Jarod got off the bike on wobbly legs. The figure on the other bike jumped off and pulled the helmet off.  
  
Becky's long blond curls fell softly to her shoulders. "That was fantastic. Lily said it was fun, but I never imagined. I have got to get me one of these!"  
  
Mark and Jarod took their helmets off as well. "Lily rides? I should have known." Jarod looked at Mark. "You all right Mark?" Jarod asked the green-faced man.  
  
"I don't know why anyone would voluntarily ride one of those things." Mark said as the world swayed around him.  
  
"You're such a stick in the mud Mark." Becky said as she hung her helmet on the handle.  
  
"One should talk Miss 'I Don't Cross the Street Against Traffic' lady." Mark put his helmet on the seat of the bike.  
  
Becky stewed for a moment and then stuck her tongue out at Mark.  
  
"Oh, that's real mature." Mark said as he realized that Jarod had started to move to the tree line. "Becky. I think we're getting left behind." Mark pointed at Jarod. The two looked at each other and sprinted trying to catch up with him.  
  
"I can only use you if you're not going to act like children." Jarod said in low whispers. We have to go over there and come in from the back. Angelo and I moved around the drainpipe before, they'll be expecting that."  
  
"You've done this before?" Mark asked.  
  
"Yes. When I was trying to save a young boy. Now Debbie should be on the second floor of the west wing. That is where the observation rooms are. I need to disconnect their monitor systems. We did the diversion thing the last time, so that would be redundant. We need a fresh idea." Jarod was scoping the area for the best line of attack.  
  
"Too bad there wasn't a storm. It would knock out the lights and systems." Becky said as she followed Jarod.  
  
Jarod thought for a moment. "What if we created the conditions of a storm?" He thought out loud. "Mark. Do you think you could drive a car into a light pole?"  
  
"Are you crazy? I could get killed?" Mark said his eyes frantic with panic.  
  
"Then jump out before it hits." Jarod said as he started across the field toward the center's parking area.  
  
Becky and Mark followed Jarod across the field. Jarod reached the parked vehicles and found Dr. Randolph's car. He knew that she was the head of NuGenesis now. Jarod took a little pouch out of his pocket and pulled out a long thin instrument. He pushed a small button and the rod became twice its length. Jarod fiddled with the lock and in a few minutes had the car opened. He reached under the steering column and pulled out some wires. He took a little plier out of the pouch and rearranged some of the wiring. The ignition started.  
  
"There you go Mark. There is a light pole right there. If I have calculated right, it will take out the power to all of NuGenesis. Becky, on the left side of the house is the wiring to the security system. When you hear the car hit, cut the third wire. It will be the only red wire there. Can you do that?" Jarod looked for any sign of distress. He remembered Lily saying that espionage wasn't Becky's forte.  
  
"I can do that. We need to help Debbie." Becky half smiled hoping she didn't electrocute herself in the process.  
  
"OK. Keep low. Follow the cars around to the back and around the building. Please keep an eye out for guards. And if someone catches you, do not resist. I don't want you hurt." Jarod took Becky's chin. "Understand?"  
  
"I will assess the situation and act accordingly. Wish me luck." Becky smiled and headed along the cars.  
  
Jarod thought for a moment. "Wait. That wasn't a yes." Jarod whispered, but Becky was already to the end of the cars. Jarod crept along the car till he was next to the open door where Mark was sitting in the driver's seat. "You ready? When you hit, I'll be entering the east door to go upstairs and get Debbie."  
  
"As a young boy I always wanted to be a demolition car driver. Now I guess I get my chance. Get going Jarod." Jarod stepped away from the car and pushed the door shut.  
  
Mark pulled the car out of its space and headed down the row towards the light pole. He turned the car in the direction he thought would cause the most damage on impact. Mark watched Jarod over the cars till he could no longer see him. "Show time." Mark said as he slammed his foot down on the accelerator, but held the brake. When the car was revved up, Mark released his foot off the break and with a squeal headed for the pole. Just as the car was about to hit, Mark opened the door and jumped out.  
  
The car hit the pole with a bang and an explosion.  
  
***************************  
  
Parker paced Broots' room waiting for the signal that Jarod opened the e- mail. She was biting her lower lip, which is something that she did when she was in deep thought or agitated.  
  
Broots sat back in his bed watching Parker march around the room. He had come to realize long ago that he and Miss Parker would never be a couple, but he still enjoyed watching her long legs move in her usual stride.  
  
Suddenly the computer chimed and Parker raced to it. She quickly read the message.  
  
Parker, Got the plans. You're the best. Tell Broots thank you. On our way to go get Debbie. Don't worry. Love always, Jarod.  
  
Broots read the e-mail and it confirmed what he had suspected. Parker and Jarod were together. "So you and Jarod are."  
  
Parker saw the hurt in Broots face. "It was inevitable. I think it was always meant to be that we would be together. Whether it was fate or kismet or just plain damn luck. I don't know. I just know that when we are together the world is at our feet. We are two pieces that fit into each other, even if it's not always perfectly."  
  
"I always knew that you were way too angry whenever he did something or the two of you were around each other. It's a sign that two people who are strong willed like each other." Broots smiled.  
  
"What are we in Broots, grammar school?" Parker said as she strode over to the door of the room looking out like what Broots was saying didn't matter.  
  
Broots looked over at Parker. "You can't deny it. All those tricks he played. Always far enough not to be caught, but always in contact. It's like he couldn't leave you behind. But at the same time we all knew that he cared enough to give you the information you needed to find out the truth about your mother. He could have kept it to himself, but he didn't. He wanted you to find out the truth, just like he was. Your futures were connected by your pasts."  
  
"I think you've been hanging around Syd too long. You think you've become a head shrinker." She sooo wished she had a cigarette. She wasn't ready to be having this conversation with anyone from the Centre, let alone Broots.  
  
"I just call it like I see it. The only man other than Thomas who has been able to make your blood boil is Jarod." Broots lay back in pain and tired.  
  
"What do you know about my boiling point." Parker started to say as she turned and saw that Broots was in pain. "Enough of this. We did what we could and you need to rest." Parker went over to the remote and pushed the button for the nurse.  
  
"How am I supposed to rest when Debbie is out there in trouble?" Broots tried to get up.  
  
Parker put her hand up to his chest. "Hey cowboy. Where do you think you're going?"  
  
"I told you. I have to find Debbie. She is my life Miss Parker." Broots winced as he tried to push up against her hand to get out of bed.  
  
"Do you think you could fight a Sweeper team like this? If anyone can get her Broots, it's Jarod. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. He knows how much she means...to me." Parker pulled her hand off of Broots' chest.  
  
"She means a lot to him too." Broots lay back on his pillow.  
  
Parker looked at him confused. "What do you mean she means a lot to him? He's never met Debbie."  
  
Broots shook his head. "You're wrong. He helped me get custody of Debbie. He's the person who sent the court the information on my ex-wife." Broots lowered his head waiting for the repercussions of his last statement.  
  
"It makes sense." Parker sat in the chair crossing her long legs as she processed the information. "The time when everyone in the Centre was looking for you and just out of the blue Jarod decides to help you. I knew there had to be a catalyst. It was Debbie. And your family unit. How could I be so blind?"  
  
Broots smiled. "I actually pulled one over on you."  
  
"Oh go ahead. Smirk Puff Daddy. Yes, I have a long memory. Sometimes I don't even want to know what goes on in that head of yours." Parker now smiled as Broots' face turned redder than a tomato. She got up. "Now if I can trust you to stay put, I'm going to go. I need to check on the training of my team. You going to be OK?"  
  
Broots shook his head in agreement. "I'm tired. I'll try and get some sleep."  
  
The nurse came in as Parker opened the door. "Please tell the Doctor that Mr. Broots needs something to help him sleep." Parker turned to leave.  
  
"Miss Parker." Broots called. "Please keep an eye open for a message from Jarod. And let me know when he has her."  
  
"You bet. Now get some rest." Parker turned and walked out the door.  
  
**************************  
  
Lily clicked into the Sanctuary file. She smiled as the plans for SL-27 came up in front of her. That smile faded, as she could find no reasonable escape route from the rooms. But she now knew where Raines' office was. If she could get out of this room, then all she had to do was make it to his office. According to the plans, all the controls for the floor were routed to there.  
  
Lily quickly memorized the specs just as the computer went blank. "So you are monitoring what I'm doing." She said under her breath. "I hope you encrypted the file Sydney."  
  
Music started playing through the intercom. Lily felt pain on the side of her head. "Err. I hate you people." She took a deep breath. "Can I at least have an aspirin?" She yelled, feeling all the angry emotions building inside her. "Cree Craw Toad's Foot, Geese Walk Barefoot." She started to chant trying to block the messaging she knew was being feed to her through the music.  
  
The door opened and Sam entered the room holding a tray with a glass.  
  
"Great. Room service. You have my aspirin?" Lily said as she approached the man.  
  
Sam half threw the tray onto the table. "Your dinner. And I'm no room service attendant."  
  
Lily looked at the glass on the tray. "What the hell is that?"  
  
Sam smirked. "Wheat grass and tomato juice. Bon appetite."  
  
Lily cringed. "What do I look like - a goat? Wheat grass? You've got to be kidding. Get me a cheeseburger, salad, and a diet Dr. Pepper."  
  
Sam was about to answer her with a smart remark, when the door to the room opened. He took the signal and left the room.  
  
Lily picked up the glass, walked into the bathroom, and poured the glass down the drain of the sink. She walked back into the room and threw the glass on the tray. "I am not going to drink anything that looks like it came from a nuclear waste dump. I want real food!" Lily went and sat on the bed and tried to block the music that was still playing.  
  
"If you want privileges, then you are going to have to play by the rules." A voice came over the intercom.  
  
Lily listened for a moment, not immediately recognizing the voice. "I'm not a play by the rule type of gal."  
  
"That's what I'm told. It intrigues me. You and I could make a great alliance." The voice proclaimed.  
  
Then Lily realized who was speaking. She brought her knees up to her chest and crossed her legs. "Your name is Klos, right? Does Dr. Raines know that you are propositioning me? I don't think that he would want you playing with his toys. He's not the sharing kind of person."  
  
"Raines doesn't control me." Klos was about to continue, when he was cut off.  
  
"That's your perception Mr. Klos. As long as you're in my employ, you are under my orders. Don't ever forget that." Raines wheezed from the doorway to his office. "But she is right. I don't want you playing with my toy - at least not right now. I need her. Don't you have some people to find?"  
  
Klos got up out of the chair and non-challantly walked past Raines. "Well if you want to keep her happy, then I'd get her a cheeseburger. The little lady is hungry." Klos exited out the door.  
  
"You are becoming a liability Mr. Klos. I will have to deal with you soon." Raines hit the intercom button. "Lily. Was there a problem with your drink?"  
  
Lily recognized Raines' voice. "Ahhh. Did Mr. Klos get his hand slapped? I want a cheeseburger, salad, and a Diet Dr. Pepper and I want it now."  
  
"Most people don't give me orders." Raines wheezed with anger in his voice.  
  
Lily smiled. "Most people don't hold the key to your future. The world is give and take. I think you better give or you will never see your Pretender's again."  
  
Raines picked up his phone. "Get her what she wants." He hung up the phone. "Smoke and mirrors. You learn quickly Lily. We'll let you stew in your programming for a while and see what happens." Raines clicked the monitor button and Lyle's room appeared on the monitor. The man was pacing around the room.  
  
"Problem Lyle?" Raines asked into the intercom system.  
  
"No. I'm just peachy. Thought this place was the Ritz Carlton." Lyle stopped pacing. "How is Lily?"  
  
Raines smiled. "And what concern is her well being to you?"  
  
Lyle's defenses kicked in. "None of your business."  
  
"Now Lyle. You know that it's better to give me what I want than fight against me. It's been that way since the beginning. And I will do whatever I wish to Lily. I want my Pretenders back."  
  
"I'll do whatever you want. I'll sit in your mind warp chair for however long you want if you just let Lily go. Just don't hurt her anymore." Lyle started to pace the room again.  
  
"We're in mutual agreement Lyle. I don't want her hurt, I want her obedient. I want my family back. The Parker reign to continue. Your son is the beginning of that. You and Lily together could create a powerful future for the Centre." Raines wheezed in deeply waiting to see what Lyle's reaction would be.  
  
Lyle stopped in his tracks. "She will never allow that. She hates you. Lily would never let you control her children."  
  
"She may with a little convincing. That she's getting now. All I need for you to do is be there to be a catalyst for the programming."  
  
Lyle looked up in anger at the camera. "You put her back in that chair?"  
  
"No. I resorted back to my original method with her, what she is primed for - music." Raines looked back at the one monitor that showed Lily. "She can't resist it forever. Eventually the subliminal messaging will supercede her own values. So do we have a deal Lyle?"  
  
Lyle thought quickly. "What's in it for me?"  
  
Raines smirked. "Besides a nice roll in the hay, you're eventual rise to command of the Centre. You will have all the power you have ever wanted."  
  
"And what of Parker and the Boy Wonder?" Lyle looked slyly at the camera.  
  
"She either gets in line or we eliminate her from the equation. Remember the Game. You're offering to me last December was a great start. She knows the rules." Raines waited for Lyle's response.  
  
"Let me go to Lily." Lyle said as he went to stand in front of the door. After a few minutes the door opened. Sam was standing there with a tray that had two burgers, a salad, and two soft drinks. "Room service?"  
  
Sam huffed. "It's for the other one. She wasn't one for Mr. Raines' specialty drinks."  
  
"Can't blame her. Wheat grass and tomato juice sucks." Lyle followed Sam to Lily's door.  
  
"Here. You give it to her." Sam shoved the tray at Lyle.  
  
"Afraid of a little lady?" Lyle asked as Sam entered the door code.  
  
"That woman is no lady." The door opened and Lyle entered.  
  
Lily got up off her bed. "Hmmmmm. Took long enough."  
  
Lyle offered the tray to Lily as she approached. She took the tray and pushed it aside on the table.  
  
Lily grabbed Lyle and kissed him. She moved to kissing his neck as Lyle half resisted, half allowed her to travel around to the other side of his neck.  
  
"Lily..." Lyle began.  
  
"Shhhhhh." Lily replied as she pushed him toward the bed. "Make love to me."  
  
Lyle squirmed as Lily's body lay on top of his. She kissed him again and Lyle responded by kissing her back. He could feel her heart beating next to his chest. She felt so good, the warmth of her body permeating his.  
  
Lyle flipped Lily so that he was on top. He pulled off his shirt and threw it to the floor. Lily leaned up and kissed his chest as Lyle closed his eyes. A few moments later Lyle pulled the covers over the two of them and nuzzled into Lily's neck.  
  
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The battles have begun. Critical moves have been made. The Players are making monumental decisions. Can triumph be within their grasp? 


	51. Unraveled plans

Chapter 51: Unraveled plans  
  
The battles have begun. Critical moves have been made. The Players are making monumental decisions. Can triumph be within their grasp?  
  
*************************  
  
Lily got up off her bed. "Hmmmmm. Took long enough."  
  
Lyle offered the tray to Lily as she approached. She took the tray and pushed it aside on the table.  
  
Lily grabbed Lyle and kissed him. She moved to kissing his neck as Lyle half resisted, half allowed her to travel around to the other side of his neck.  
  
"Lily..." Lyle began.  
  
"Shhhhhh." Lily replied as she pushed him toward the bed. "Make love to me."  
  
Lyle squirmed as Lily's body lay on top of his. She kissed him again and Lyle responded by kissing her back. He could feel her heart beating next to his chest. She felt so good, the warmth of her body permeating his.  
  
Lyle flipped Lily so that he was on top. He pulled off his shirt and threw it to the floor. Lily leaned up and kissed his chest as Lyle closed his eyes. A few moments later Lyle pulled the covers over the two of them and nuzzled into Lily's neck.  
  
Lily went back to nibbling on Lyle's neck. Something was pushing her toward wanting to rip his clothes off. Her hands moved toward his sweat pants.  
  
Lyle looked up from Lily's neck and was going to peek from under the covers when he felt Lily's hands move. "Lily...Lily, ohh...ummm...OK." Lyle tried to stop Lily's hand while holding himself up with the other. "Lily however enjoyable this is, and believe me this is very enjoyable, we have got to concentrate on getting out of here."  
  
"Why?" Lily asked as she tried once again to remove Lyle's clothing.  
  
"Lily you're under Raines' subliminal messaging...now stop that...please.." Lyle pulled his pendant closer to Lily hoping that they worked generically and not to each individual person.  
  
Lily stopped in mid kiss and grabbed the side of her head. "Ahhhhh." Lily looked up at Lyle. "Why are you on top of me half-naked?"  
  
"Hey. If I didn't have this little thing." Lyle played with the pendant in his fingers. "I'd be fully naked thanks to you. Raines gave you a little reconditioning."  
  
"I will never get use to that thing sparking in my head." She felt a little embarrassed. "Umm.Sorry for the compromising position. Literally."  
  
"I've participated in worse cover-ups." Lyle smiled.  
  
Lily couldn't help but to chuckle. "Funny. I'm over his funny music. I'm going to kill that man when I get my hands on him."  
  
"Get in line. But for right now we have to make him believe that we are having sex so that he will leave you alone."  
  
"Fine. So what do we do? Squirm around in bed all night? That still won't get us out of here. And we're running out of time."  
  
"If he thinks we're together, then we have all the time we need." Lyle whispered back.  
  
"You don't understand. I have people under me. People that have orders to destroy this place if I don't report back. I don't know how long I have been here, but the clock is ticking."  
  
The look on Lily's face told Lyle that she wasn't lying. "Great. We're being attacked by both sides. What else could go wrong?"  
  
Suddenly the comforter was pulled back.  
  
*************************  
  
Mark hit the ground and rolled. Lily had demonstrated to him once how to roll in case of an emergency. His back screamed with pain as he tumbled along the pavement. He didn't care what she said; it still hurt even with the roll. After coming to a stand still, he just lay there on is back. "I don't care anymore. Guards, Sweepers, whoever you are just come and get me." He tried to sit up, but just ended up lying back down on the ground. "The things I do for that woman."  
  
Mark moved his head from side to side. He saw the teetering light pole fall on top of the car. Sparks flew everywhere and the parking lot went dark, then NuGenesis. The plan had worked. Smoke began to pour out of the car.  
  
He knew that the Sweepers would be coming soon and he had to get up. He pushed himself on his elbows and then turned so that he was on all fours. He pushed himself up off the ground and took a step. His left ankle almost gave way as pain surged up his leg. "Damn." Mark went limping off behind a row of cars a few feet away from the burning inferno that had engulfed the electric pole. He was going to go make sure Becky was all right.  
  
Becky heard the collision of the car and pole. She peeked around the corner of the building and saw the smoke. The building lights went out moments later. She reached out and felt Mark's pain. She breathed a sigh of relief that he was all right. Becky crept to the electrical box and opened it. She took the pliers Jarod had given her and clipped the third, red wire. Hopefully she just took care of the backup system for the security system.  
  
Jarod saw the pole tilt sideways and the electric go out in the building. He waited, calculating the amount of time that it would take Becky to go to the box and cut the security wire. He grabbed the handle of the emergency exit and hoped that the alarm wouldn't sound as he opened the door.  
  
The door clicked and then opened without incident. Jarod slid in quietly and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. The stairs to the second floor were to his right. He pulled the gun out from where he had tucked them into his jeans. Keeping it close to his body, he made his way up the dark stairs. He approached the door at the top of the second landing. Jarod pushed himself up against the door and peered in through the small window in the door. The floor looked clear of activity. "This is not good." He said to himself.  
  
Jarod opened the door and slipped onto the floor. There were doorways all up and down the hall. He knew from his previous excursion into NuGenesis that there was an observation station on the west end of the floor. The problem this time was not knowing which room Debbie was being kept in.  
  
He decided to start at the closest door and work his way down. He knew the electronic doors would open since the power was off. He went to grab the doorknob when he noticed that it started to turn. Jarod backed up quickly trying to make it back to the stairwell door. As he backed into the door, a small face poked out from behind the door.  
  
A cute little curly blonde haired girl came out cautiously into the hall. "Hello?" She said softly as she looked up and down the hallway. "Hello." She paused as she spotted Jarod. "Jarod? That's a nice name."  
  
Jarod looked up and down the hall. He went and kneeled next to the young girl. "Hello. How did you know my name?"  
  
The girl smiled. "You know your name, so I know your name."  
  
Jarod was perplexed and just about to say something when the doors to the other rooms started to open. Children of various ages poked their heads out the doors. Some had fear in their eyes.  
  
The little girl walked into the middle of the hallway. "It's OK. You can come out. This is Jarod and he is here to help the new girl Debbie." She turned back to Jarod. "Can you help us too?"  
  
Jarod stood up and went to the little girl's side. "Are you all being held here? Do you know where your parents are?"  
  
"I have no parents. I have always been here. But some of the others do. But parents aren't allowed to come here. Except for downstairs where they make the babies. Sometimes they get to take their babies home, some get brought up here."  
  
Jarod felt like his chest was about to implode from the pressure of the young girl's words. When he had entered the main frame before the last visit he didn't look to see if there were any other children other than Davey. "I want to help all of you, but I am looking for Debbie. Do you know where she is?"  
  
The young girl started to back away from Jarod. "She is with him. The one with a black heart. He's waiting for you. Knew you would come."  
  
Jarod went and knelt back down by her. "What is your name?"  
  
"Kelly." The young girl answered.  
  
"Kelly. I need to get all of you, including Debbie, out of here. Can you tell me where he is?" Jarod let his chestnut brown eyes soften so that the girl would be at ease.  
  
"Her room is the last one on the right. Down there." The girl pointed toward the west wing. "Be careful. They're waiting for you."  
  
Jarod brought his gun up again and started down the hall as the children gathered in a group standing around Kelly.  
  
********************************  
  
Guards were running everywhere. The night shift personnel of NuGenesis all came out the front door to see what the explosion had been. People were running and checking on their cars. Dr. Randolph came walking down the front steps and grabbed one of the guards. "What's going on?"  
  
"A car slammed into a light pole. We're trying to determine if anyone was in the car at the time." The guard ran off to join the others. The sound of fire trucks could be heard in the distance.  
  
Dr. Randolph approached the scene to evaluate the situation when she realized that her car was no longer in it's spot. "That's my car!" She screamed as the guards came to a stand still. The flames were flickering and lit up the night sky. Then the gas tank exploded.  
  
Becky jumped as she heard the explosion. She peeked around the building again. People were running everywhere. She started to back up when she felt something poke into the middle of her back.  
  
"I think you should stay right where you are Miss." A Sweeper said as he held a gun to her back. "Put your hands around your back."  
  
Becky tried to figure out what she should do. How she wished she had paid more attention to Lily when she was giving her the self-defense lessons. Becky brought her hands behind her back and felt cuffs click around each of her wrists.  
  
"Now lets get you inside and find out what you have to do with this mess." The man started pushing Becky around the building when a piece of wood came down on the man's head. He collapsed with a thud on the ground.  
  
"Jarod?" Becky said as she turned to see Mark standing there throwing the piece of wood to the side. "Mark. Thank God. Are you all right?"  
  
"I've been better." Mark rolled the man and searched his pockets. He found the key to the cuffs in his front pocket. He pulled them out and undid the cuffs from Becky's wrists. "What should we do with him?"  
  
"Cuff him." Becky grabbed the handcuffs and pulled the man's arms behind his back. "How do you like it?" She asked the unconscious man.  
  
Mark took his handkerchief from his pocket. He rolled it and tied it around the man's mouth. "Will that do?" Becky shook her head yes. "Let's put him in that ditch over there." Mark and Becky dragged the man and dumped him in the ditch.  
  
"He's going to be angry when he wakes up. He was overpowered by a pianist and a psychiatrist." Becky turned and gasped.  
  
"What's the matter?" Mark asked as he turned to see what had startled Becky.  
  
Standing before the two was a curly haired little girl. "Jarod's going to need help." Kelly took Becky's hand and led her and Mark into the side entrance of NuGenesis.  
  
**************************  
  
Jarod cautiously approached the end of the hallway. Standing next to the doorway, he spun and pushed the door open. He held the gun up and scanned the room. It was empty. Jarod crept throughout the darkened room, the moonlight being the only light available. He checked the bathroom and the closet, but he found nothing but what he assumed were Debbie Broot's original clothes.  
  
He came back to the doorway to enter the hallway when he spotted movement in the corner of his eye. The figure had moved around the nurse's station. Jarod followed the movement till he stopped with a start.  
  
Cox stood before him, a gun pointed at a semi-unconscious Debbie's head. There was a small boy, approximately three years old, standing next to him. "Good evening Jarod. Quite a little dilemma we have here."  
  
Jarod immediately raised his gun. "Let her go."  
  
"I don't think so. I've been talking to Mr. White. He said that when confronted with a choice, you seem to always be the good guy. So here is your choice. I have planted explosives in Miss Broots room and in other rooms on this floor. Now you can come after me. You will probably over power me and save Miss Broots. But then you will leave all the children on this floor to die." Cox grinned. "I'm leaving now. Make your choice. You're running out of time." Cox started backing away.  
  
Jarod looked at Debbie and then back down toward the hall he had just come from. "You haven't won." Jarod said as he turned and ran around the corner. "Children. Come on we have to get out of here." He started opening all the doors.  
  
At the opening of the door, Becky and Mark appeared with Kelly. "Jarod. What's wrong?" Becky yelled.  
  
"Cox has placed bombs on this floor. We have to get the children out now!" Jarod was shooing more children into the hall. "Kelly. How many children are there?"  
  
"More this way, then that's all of us. Besides the babies." The little girl said.  
  
"Babies?!" Becky said. "Where are the babies?"  
  
Kelly looked up scared. "In the nursery. Down there." Kelly pointed in the opposite direction from which Jarod had first gone.  
  
Becky looked at Jarod and then down the hall. "Get the kids out of here." She yelled as she sprinted down the hall.  
  
"Becky!" Jarod screamed. "Kelly. Can you get the other's out?" Kelly shook her head yes. "Mark. Come on." Jarod started running after Becky.  
  
"Everyone come on." Kelly screamed. More children poked their heads out and came from there rooms. "It's time to go."  
  
Jarod and Mark ran down the hall and stopped when they hit a glass-enclosed room. Becky was inside grabbing a baby out of a crib. There was terror in her eyes. Jarod looked to the right of her and sitting on the counter next to the cans of formula was a bomb that was counting down.  
  
"Mark. Grab the bassinets. We'll make a train of them. We can fit three babies to a crib." Jarod and Mark grabbed babies and started placing them in one bassinet. Becky realized what they were trying to do and helped. Once all the babies were tucked in they made a bassinet train. Jarod pushed one ahead of him and pulled another behind him. Becky and then Mark followed him.  
  
They got to the part of the hall where the door was and three of the older children were there. "Kelly said that you would need help." They each grabbed a cradle form an adult and picked them up to carry them down the stairs.  
  
Jarod made sure everyone went first and he followed in the rear. As they were rounding the landing, the second floor shook as the explosives went off. Jarod was thrown against the wall. He gripped the bassinet tightly and kept going. Smoke was filling the stairwell.  
  
Becky pushed the door open and ran from the building. The children exited next followed by Mark. After a few moments, Jarod followed. He was coughing trying to expel the smoke from his burning lungs. "We have to get them out of here. While everyone is distracted." Jarod headed across the field trying to keep the babies steady as possible.  
  
The group made it back to the motorcycles. Becky looked at the two vehicles. "We need help." She took out her cell phone. "This is Becky. I need two vans here now. Rush it. I don't think we will be alone for long." Becky clicked her phone closed.  
  
"How are they going to find us?" Jarod asked alarmed. "You didn't give them any directions."  
  
Becky flicked the ring on her hand. "Tracking device. Don't leave home without it." She started checking the babies. "I think the babies are all right. How about you guys?"  
  
Jarod went and started checking the children. "They look OK. Don't be afraid."  
  
Kelly tugged at Jarod's shirt. "Yes Kelly."  
  
She looked up at Jarod with big eyes. "Are you my father?"  
  
**************************  
  
Sunrise and sunset. Cycles in the Game. Life is a precious circle. A fact that the Players are about to learn. 


	52. Questions Unanswered

Chapter 52: Questions Unanswered  
  
Sunrise and sunset. Cycles in the Game. Life is a precious circle. A fact that the Players are about to learn.  
  
*************************  
  
"How are they going to find us?" Jarod asked alarmed. "You didn't give them any directions."  
  
Becky flicked the ring on her hand. "Tracking device. Don't leave home without it." She started checking the babies. "I think the babies are all right. How about you guys?"  
  
Jarod went and started checking the children. "They look OK. Don't be afraid."  
  
Kelly tugged at Jarod's shirt. "Yes Kelly."  
  
She looked up at Jarod with big eyes. "Are you my father?"  
  
Jarod's face turned to shock. He bent down to Kelly's level. "Why would you think that I was your father?"  
  
"A lot of the experiments at that place involved you. Your name was on everyone's mind. The doctors that came to run the tests were always talking about DNA and Pretenders. And that's you. You're a Pretender." Kelly's eyes were wide with excitement as she waited for an answer.  
  
Jarod shook his head. "Kelly. The people in that place and a place called the Centre did a lot of things they weren't supposed to do. I'm not sure of anything, but I promise that I will find out for you. We're going to send you to a place where they will take care of you and run tests. Is that all right?"  
  
"Angel's Hope. Yes. I think we would be safe there." She said with a smile.  
  
Becky turned and looked at the young girl. She concentrated on trying to read the young girl, but was blocked.  
  
Kelly turned to Becky. "You're like me!" The little girl said with excitement. "But you can't do that. Not unless I want you too. I learned how to keep them out."  
  
Becky looked over to Jarod. "She blocked me Jarod. I couldn't read her." Becky went over to the young girl. "I think that maybe you and I are going to be more related than you and Jarod. Angel's Hope is where I live and it has other children there just like us."  
  
Kelly's face dropped. "But we have to go alone. You have to stay here." She hesitated for a moment. "You're sister is in danger." Kelly looked at Jarod. "Lily's in great danger. Mr. Cox thought it. You have to get her away from them. They want to change her."  
  
Jarod and Becky looked at each other and said. "Change?"  
  
***************************  
  
Lyle felt a cool breeze on his back. "Can't a person have a little privacy?" He swung his head to the side to see Raines and his assistant standing next to them. Behind them were Sam and Willie. "Don't you two ever go home?"  
  
"Get him up." Wheezed Raines. Sam and Willie grabbed Lyle and pulled him off Lily.  
  
"Hey. I was comfortable there." Lyle spat out as he tried to get free of Sam and Willie.  
  
Raines came in front of him. He spotted the medallion and yanked it off Lyle's neck. "Once again you disappoint me Lyle. And how did you get this back?" Raines handed it to his assistant. "Have them go over this medallion again. I'm sure it's the cause of the abnormality in both their readings."  
  
Lily took in a quick breath as she realized that Raines had put two and two together concerning the medallions. She brought herself up into a sitting position and started moving slowly towards the top of the bed.  
  
"You've been monitoring me?" Lyle asked indignant. "I'm hurt." The smugness flowed off Lyle like a river. "I'm glad that at least I'm consistent. I have a record of disappointments to keep. What are we at - 0 for 3?"  
  
"Where did the medallion come from?" Raines questioned again. "How does it interrupt my chip?"  
  
"You're asking me? I just found it in the room I was in." Lyle bantered back. He spotted Lily moving up the bed.  
  
Raines spotted Lyle's gaze and turned to look at Lily. She stopped her movement. Raines turned to the Sweepers and ordered. "Get him out of here."  
  
"Wait. You said you wanted action. I was giving you action. Let go of me!" Lyle resisted as Willie and Sam dragged him from the room. "You son of a bitch." Was the last thing Lyle said as he was dragged from the room.  
  
Raines turned to Lily who was now crawling off the bed away from the two men. "Where did the medallion come from?"  
  
"Go to hell. That's where you came from anyway." Lily said as she maneuvered herself on the other side of the desk.  
  
"I had such high expectations for you. I offered you power and this is how I am repaid." Raines wheezed.  
  
Lily kept her eye on Raines' assistant. "You offered me nothing that I don't already have. I already told you that I am not a puppet." Lily looked past Raines to the door. "What are you going to do with Bobby?"  
  
Raines shook his head and went to the door. "He has not been Bobby in a long time. Lyle will be dealt with." He turned his back to Lily and punched in the code for the door. Sam and Willie stood on the other side. "I don't have time for this. I need her in a more cooperative state. Hold her."  
  
Lily got ready for a fight. In the corner of her eye, she spotted the assistant pulling a needle from his pocket. "What do you people think - I'm a pincushion?"  
  
Sam and Willie charged at Lily. Lily took a giant leap up onto the desk. She kicked Sam in the chest and sent him flying. Willie took the opportunity to tackle Lily off the table. She hit the floor with a thud as she and Willie rolled on the slick floor. Her head throbbed with pain from the brunt of the fall. Lily tried to get up, but Willie grabbed her legs.  
  
"Let go of me!" She screamed as Sam came from her right and grabbed her arms. The assistant took the needle and jabbed it into her thigh. "No...No...I hate you...." Lily spat at Raines with her last waking breath.  
  
"Get her up on the bed." Raines ordered. He turned to his assistant. "Now I want the conditioning completed. I want her made ready for the maze. It will be the ultimate test of whether she will ever be manageable."  
  
Raines left the room as Sam and Willie threw Lily on the bed.  
  
**************************  
  
Dinner had come and gone, but Parker had not heard from Jarod. She had gone from Broots' room to the training area. Veronica was leading them in martial arts training. As she had watched, she had to commend Lily for the program she had designed. It was even better than the Centre.  
  
She had gone to dinner with Dr. Stedman, but she had been deep in thought through the whole meal. Dr. Stedman had tried to bring up conversation to distract her, but all Parker could do was think about what might be happening.  
  
Debbie had become a very special part of her life. A part she hadn't expected on having. Taking her shopping, going out for lunch, and talking girl talk to the wee hours of the morning were things she missed so much since her Mother's death. Through the years she had watched Debbie grow into a young woman. Now the question was would she be allowed to grow into a phenomenal adult.  
  
After dinner she had wandered to her Mother's, no her office. She looked at the pictures on the wall. The family she hadn't seen in too many years. All the moments and memories she could have had with people who loved her stolen from her. And for the first time she noticed. There were no pictures of her father - anywhere.  
  
This room had been her Mother's sanctuary from him. And from the evil he was doing. She was safe here. And she had left that safety to go back. Parker walked over and picked up the picture of her Mother. She clutched it to her chest. "You left so you could come back to get me and it was your death warrant." She whispered. A tear fell down her face. "And I wasted all the years up to now following the Parker legacy."  
  
A voice came from Parker's side. "I told you before that there was no way that she was going to leave you there."  
  
Parker wiped the tears from her cheek as she turned to face Dr. Stedman. "But the fact is that she did come back for me, found out about Ethan and was forced to trust Raines. And he killed her and didn't blink an eye."  
  
"He was afraid of her." Joan said as she sat at Parker's desk.  
  
"Raines was not afraid of my Mother." Parker shook her head.  
  
"Yes he was. Afraid of what she knew and that she was intelligent enough to stop him. He had his own wife committed because he found out that she was working with Catherine and Margaret. But he never figured out her biggest secret."  
  
"That she had started Angel's Hope?" Parker asked figuring she knew the answer.  
  
"No. That she had found his precious scrolls. The real scrolls."  
  
Parker's eyes opened in shock. "Jarod and I found the scrolls in Carthis. The Triumvirate verified their authenticity. So she found them before Jarod and I?"  
  
"No. The scrolls you and Jarod found were fakes." Dr. Stedman got up and sat on the edge of the desk.  
  
"How could they be fakes? My father and Mr. Raines had been searching for them ever since my grandfather told the two of them about the damn things. They're what killed my father in the end."  
  
"Your Mother and Margaret went to Carthis years ago. The monks told them the story of how the scrolls were cursed. How the Crypt Keeper had murdered his family to regain them. But in the end he left the island without them. His daughter had hidden them."  
  
Parker started to pace the room. "Yes. But the way we figured it out no one else could have done."  
  
Joan looked up to the ceiling. "Little Miss Parker." Is all she said as she waited for Parker's response.  
  
Parker stopped in her tracks and turned to Dr. Stedman. "What did you say?"  
  
Dr. Stedman got up and moved a piece of Parker's hair that had fallen in her face. "You look so much like her. You are very much like her in many ways." Stedman brought Parker over to the chair and sat her down. "Your Mother told me when she got back that she had been led to the scrolls by the voices she heard and a little girl that only she could see. The little girl led her to a graveyard."  
  
"Where the Crypt Keeper's family was buried." Parker finished.  
  
"Yes. It was the final nail in the Parker mystery. While she was at the gravesites she met a Brother Caravelli. He knew about the scrolls and knew that they couldn't fall into the wrong hands. There were other Brothers on the island working for the Parker's, so he hid Margaret and Catherine. He helped to write the counterfeit scrolls after Catherine had found the originals. Then she put them back in the crypt."  
  
"Why would she leave fake ones at all?" Parker asked trying to digest everything she was hearing.  
  
"Because she knew that the Parker's were still looking for them. And she hadn't yet learned what your great grandfather had passed down. It wasn't until she got back that she found out that they were focusing on twins and trying to find one special boy. She stole your father's notes and brought them here." Stedman went back to the desk and picked up a folder. "The notes you already found."  
  
"So the prophecy is true. Jarod is the key to everything." Parker got up and went to the desk.  
  
"Not just Jarod. When your Mother met Brother Caravelli she found out that the Crypt Keeper's interpretation was incorrect. The scrolls were written in Hebrew. The monk that translated it gave Mr. Parker an incorrect interpretation." Dr. Stedman opened the file. Parker came over to the desk. "Here, where it says - The Centre shall rise to command great wealth and power to control commerce and countries. The chosen will be found. Gemini's possessing unique gifts and abilities will bring about the prosperity and the destruction of the Centre. A boy named Jarod will be the instrument of either ultimate power or total destruction of the Centre. A child prodigy born of strength and inner light. Born one of two, mastered to manipulate man and machine. Destined to marry the heir of power, another who possesses an inner sense. Together they will come to challenge the powers and change outcomes. Assisted by other prodigies of dark and light. The boy is one half of a whole. The other half will be as sweet as a morning flower and as deadly as a serpent. If the halves are joined, the two will overcome all obstacles placed before them. Giving the three authority over the power of the Centre. Destined to marry the heir of power, another who possesses an inner sense. It was flawed."  
  
"So the prophecy could be about Jarod and Lily then. Who cares? It's all just a fairytale." Parker said in a huff.  
  
"Your Father believed it. Enough that he was going to use you to perpetuate the line of the Parker's. See here it said that the chosen was destined to marry the heir of power. Who was his heir of power?"  
  
Parker's face saddened. "I am. My father was planning this all along."  
  
"Yes. And since he had control over the fertility clinic, then he had control over the children that came out of it. But what he didn't know is that the interpretation he was basing it on was biased. The true interpretation says that both Gemini's will gain power and bring about the destruction. The early monks couldn't fathom that a woman could obtain power or be a threat."  
  
"Sexists. Fools." Parker spat.  
  
"But what I'm afraid of is that Dr. Raines believes the interpretation and will change his view that the marriage of not you and Jarod, but..."  
  
Parker's eyes lit up. "Lyle and Lily. But he can't really think that any of this will be worth anything. Besides Lyle has never shown any part of my Mother's gift."  
  
"Raines has killed for the information he thinks the scrolls hold. That's all that matters. Because Dr. Raines will do whatever he needs to in order to gain the amount of power the scrolls offer. Regardless of whether he sells his soul to the devil or not."  
  
Parker looked up as she realized something. "You have the God forsaken things here? Don't you?"  
  
Dr. Stedman closed the file and walked towards Catherine picture on the wall. "I can't tell you that."  
  
Parker came around the desk, her fury building. "What do you mean you can't tell me? Are they here or not?"  
  
Stedman turned and looked at Parker. "I made a promise to your Mother. If you were ever to ask, I was to tell you the story. And that's it."  
  
"They're either here or you know where they are. Just show them to me. Maybe Jarod can use them as leverage to free Lily." Parker tried to reason.  
  
"Those scrolls can never fall into Raines' hands. If they did, we would never see Lily or Jarod again. He would hunt Jarod down with more vengeance than he has ever before. Jarod wouldn't ever be able to have a normal life and he would never let Lily go."  
  
"I want to see them." Parker demanded. "I have the right to see them!"  
  
"No!" Stedman shot back. "No one sees them ever again. You're Mother read them and she died."  
  
"My Mother died because Raines put a bullet into her." Parker shot back as the words stung her soul.  
  
Stedman turned to look Parker in the eye. "You may not be a very religious person Melissa, but I am. There are certain things that never should be touched because they harness the ability to create pure evil in people. Those scrolls have driven your whole family to kill or be killed. I will not allow one more person to be hurt by them."  
  
"What right do you have to decide what I do or don't do? I am a grown woman, smart, intelligent, and have been out of diapers for quite a while. I don't need another mother thank you. And don't call me Melissa." Parker's voice became stern.  
  
"I am the Director of this facility, one of your Mother's best friends, and your Godmother. So I will tell you what to do when it comes to your safety and the safety of this facility!" Joan yelled back. "And I will call you Melissa because that is your God given name and one your Mother cherished."  
  
Parker headed for the door. "That's it. I'm out of here. I'm going where I can be of some use. This isn't a facility; this is a babysitting service. What could my Mother have been thinking when she started this place? There was no way she was ever going to get away from the Centre. No one gets away from the Centre. They only leave dead!"  
  
Stedman said nothing because she was finally seeing the emotional explosion she knew would be coming.  
  
Parker started pacing around the room. "My Mother died. Thomas died. Edna died. Kyle died. Lyle died, but then he came back, the bastard. And the list goes on and on and on. And now they have Lily and Debbie. And if Raines doesn't get what he wants, then they'll die. Then Jarod will go after them and he will die. So what is the point? What is the damn point? So I can stand here and watch more people I love die just like my Mother in that elevator!" Parker took in a quick breath. She started to tremble a little.  
  
Joan went over to Parker. "Come here, sit down. Let it out Melissa. You can't keep it inside."  
  
Parker pulled her shoulder away from Joan. "I don't need to let anything out. I'm a Parker. I'm fine."  
  
"You're not fine. You've kept your emotions hid deep inside for so long that it's killing you. It's OK to cry for the loss of your Mother and the others."  
  
"I cried. I cried for my Mother, I cried for Thomas. I even secretly cried for Kyle because I knew how much he meant to Jarod. I cried till I didn't have any more tears. What more do you want from me!" Parker got up out of the chair.  
  
Stedman followed her. "I want you to face the truth. You're mad at your Mother for leaving you. You're mad at Raines for causing her to leave. You're mad at your Father for, I can't even name all the things he's done. And you're mad at Jarod for going after Lily. You can't keep thinking that everyone around you is going to leave you."  
  
Parker flew around. "I...I...I want my Mother back." One single tear started down her cheek. "She should be here right now, not me."  
  
Joan took Parker's chin. "Let it go."  
  
Parker looked at the picture of her and her Mother. And all the pictures around it. "These are her pictures." Parker went up and started pulling the pictures off the wall. "Her family, the people who loved her, miss her, cared for her. This is all her things. Her personal mementos." Parker went to the desk and pushed everything off the top. She could get hear the voices, her Mother's voice, sobbing. "Ahh. I can hear her voice, inside, all the time...all the ti..."Parker looked at Joan. "God I miss her. I miss her."  
  
Joan took Parker in her arms and she cried.  
  
***************************  
  
Jarod sat on the motel bed and took out his cell phone. He dialed the number and asked the operator to be connected. A few moments later the call was transferred. "Mr. Broots it's Jarod. I'm so sorry..." A tear ran down his cheek.  
  
***************************  
  
Broots picked up the phone and listened for a moment. "Thank you for trying Jarod." He hung up the phone. Broots looked at the tray sitting on the table before him and with his good arm sent it flying across the room. "Nooooooooooo!" He lay back in his bed, banged his fist on the bed, and started to cry.  
  
***************************  
  
Lyle sat on the bed as he thought about the last hour. The way Lily felt underneath him. The warmth of her body. How could he have been so stupid to try what he had done? Now she was going through who knows what because of him. Part of him wanted to kick himself for getting involved with her. His life was - fair. Sure he had to deal with a lunatic father and a gun toting brooding sister, but what families don't have their problems. He got up off the bed and went to the door. He couldn't get the enter pad to work. He banged his fist on the door. Then let his forehead lean up against the door.  
  
**************************  
  
The technicians moved Lily's head so that they could connect the monitor wires. She was in and out of consciousness as they at times kept her in a twilight sleep. She could hear their voices at what seemed like a far off distance. If the technicians had bothered to look, they would have seen a single tear in the corner of Lily's eye.  
  
The technician came and injected something into Lily's IV. She tried to hold onto her consciousness, but the drugs won out. Lily was in a dream state with black all around her. Then she saw her standing there. Herself as a small girl.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Lily asked the small girl.  
  
Then all Lily could hear was music.  
  
The long and winding road  
  
that leads to your door  
  
will never disappear  
  
I've seen that road before  
  
It always leads me here  
  
Lead me to you door  
  
***************************  
  
Disappointment is a part of life. At times it's what keeps us running in the Game. The pain drives the Players to the brink of insanity. The pain drives the Players to succeed. 


	53. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Chapter 53: Between a Rock and a Hard Place  
  
Disappointment is a part of life. At times it's what keeps us running in the Game. The pain drives the Players to the brink of insanity. The pain drives the Players to succeed.  
  
*************************  
  
The technicians moved Lily's head so that they could connect the monitor wires. She was in and out of consciousness as they at times kept her in a twilight sleep. She could hear their voices at what seemed like a far off distance. If the technicians had bothered to look, they would have seen a single tear in the corner of Lily's eye.  
  
The technician came and injected something into Lily's IV. She tried to hold onto her consciousness, but the drugs won out. Lily was in a dream state with black all around her. Then she saw her standing there. Herself as a small girl.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Lily asked the small girl.  
  
Then all Lily could hear was music.  
  
The long and winding road that leads to your door will never disappear  
  
I've seen that road before It always leads me here  
  
Lead me to your door  
  
"It's begun." The little girl said.  
  
Lily approached her. "They're trying to get inside my head."  
  
The little girl smiled. "They're already inside. Resistance is futile." The little girl skipped off past Lily.  
  
"Let's keep my love for Star Trek out of this." When Lily turned the little girl was playing with medical instruments on the floor.  
  
The wild and windy night that the rain washed away  
  
Has left a pool of tears crying for the day  
  
Why leave me standing here let me know the way  
  
Lily followed her. "Shouldn't you be playing with toys? Jacks or something."  
  
"There are no toys at the Centre. No windows. No doors. No love." The little girl moved the instruments around sadly. "But then you already know that. There are a lot of things you try not to remember."  
  
Lily looked around for the source of the music. "Can't I escape the music even in my dreams?"  
  
The little girl looked up with melancholy chestnut brown eyes. "Lyrics and lullabies always have a meaning. This song is from me to you."  
  
Lily was confused. "The song is for me?" Lily listened to the song that she knew well. She loved the Beatles.  
  
The little girl sang the words.  
  
Many times I've been alone and many times I've cried  
  
Any way you'll never know the many ways I've tried  
  
But still they lead me back to the long winding road  
  
You left me standing here a long long time ago  
  
Don't leave me waiting here lead me to your door  
  
"What is the long and winding road?" Lily asked.  
  
"We all make journeys in life. Some are easy to travel; others are rocky and turbulent. What do you think the long and winding road is?"  
  
Lily knelt down on the floor. "Why are you answering my question with a question? I know you've been hurt. I want to help you."  
  
Behind the girl Lyle and Mark appeared. "See there are things you just don't want to face." The little girl got up and moved away. "And you don't want to help me; you want to destroy me."  
  
Lily turned on her knees. "Leave them out of this. I don't.." And she felt herself being jerked into consciousness. "I need to talk to you."  
  
"Lily. Lily." Said the voice above her.  
  
Lily struggled to open her eyes. It felt like lead weights held them shut as she persevered to open them. Finally her eyes fluttered open as she expected to see Raines or one of his cohorts hovering over her. Instead she found herself in a darkened room. She looked around and realized that she was still in her room. The walls emanated a soft glow that gave the room enough light to move around. She surmised this was for whatever staff was tending her.  
  
"Lily. Lily." The voice whispered again.  
  
She struggled against the drugs to look around the room to see who was calling her. "Who's there?" She half whispered through a dry mouth. Her throat felt like she had swallowed half a desert.  
  
"Sister hurt." Angelo sat in the air duct above Lily being careful not to touch the grate itself. He clutched the jamming device he had retrieved from his room in his hands.  
  
"Timmy." Lily spoke with difficulty. "Get out of here. They'll catch you."  
  
"No. I fixed them. Can't hear or see." Angelo smiled at the thought of outsmarting them once again. "Have to find Jarod." Angelo said, as he became sad at the fact that he hadn't been able to contact his sister or Jarod.  
  
"Timmy. Listen to me." Lily tried to swallow so that her voice would carry. "You have to get my costume that I was wearing when I came in." Lily fought a wave of twilight.  
  
"It's here. It's in a safe place." Angelo said as he perked up.  
  
"How did you, never mind. In the cuffs Timmy. The sleeve and pants cuffs have a light clay substance inside." She took a long breath fighting the sleep. "Take it out and roll it into small balls. In the collar are trigger sticks. Stick the balls in the air ducts around SL-27. Put one stick in each ball." Lily had to stop and rest a minute.  
  
In that minute, Angelo empathed Lily. He became excited. "No. No Lily. You can't."  
  
"No choice Timmy. Have to stop Raines." She was getting pulled back into unconsciousness, "In the belt buckle is a small detonator. Get far enough away and blow the place."  
  
"You'll die."  
  
"Only way to keep.family.safe." Lily fell back into unconsciousness.  
  
With a sad heart, Angelo crawled back to where he had stored Lily's costume.  
  
******************************  
  
Jarod walked around the darkened room. There were children sleeping everywhere. On the bed, on the floor, on chairs pushed together. He watched with sadness that not one of them was sleeping soundly. They were all at one point or another experiencing nightmares.  
  
He had hoped that his years of trying to work against the Centre would have prevented this, but somehow these were children that had slipped through the cracks. He remembered his father feeling that it was his fault that Jarod was experiencing his nightmares. Now he knew how his father had felt.  
  
"It's not your fault." A voice came from behind him.  
  
Jarod turned to see Becky standing at the doorway between their two rooms. "I said the same words to my Father. But now I know no matter how much I could have said it to him, it wouldn't have mattered. I should have found these children, just like I found Davey."  
  
Becky moved closer to Jarod so she wouldn't wake the children. "From what you told me, Davey was a child they were acquiring. These children were bred to be part of the Centre. Their files were probably in a part of the main frame you hadn't been able to access."  
  
"I should have known when I found Kyle and that when I escaped with two other Pretender hopefuls, that the Centre had more children. Was I so egotistical to think that I was the only one they wanted?"  
  
"Ego has nothing to do with it. They have been chasing you for years and saying that your capture was paramount. How would anyone know that other's existed?"  
  
Jarod looked at Becky with saddened eyes. "I should have known. I'm a genius. Worse than that I know the Centre like the back of my hand. I should have anticipated this."  
  
"You're a man. Human. You're not expected to know everything. The fault lies with the devil who can create children not for giving joy to childless couples, but for his own malicious ends." Becky signaled with her head for Jarod to follow her out of the door.  
  
The morning light was just peaking over the horizon. Becky and Jarod just stood up against the motel wall. "I love this time of the morning. Everything in the world is just so in tune. Peaceful. Lily hates getting up and seeing the sun rise. I use to pull her out of bed so that we could sit on the mountain and watch the glistening dew on the leaves just as the sun rose. How I just took those days for granted."  
  
Jarod just stared forward and watched the dawn. "I think that people spend their lives running. Saddled with all the trappings that are their lives, so that they don't take the time to just enjoy the simple things. When I first got out of the Centre I would sit for hours just watching the most mundane things. A trail of working ants. A bird making a nest. A child playing in a sandbox." Jarod looked down at his feet. "Then I got trapped. Trapped in trying to find the truth. Trapped trying to find my family. Trapped trying to get revenge for the anger I felt for losing my brother and family." Jarod looked back up. "I just realized that I don't look at the ants or birds anymore. I just hurt."  
  
"How are we going to solve this Jarod? Everyone is in so much pain. I can feel it. Your in pain, Lily's in pain, Mark is in pain, those children are in pain."  
  
"You're in pain." Jarod said looking sideways at her. "I'm sorry that Lily isn't your sister. You shouldn't have found out the way you did."  
  
"One person's joy is another's sorrow?" She looked and gave Jarod a little smile. "The bond between Lily and I transcends any physiological connection. We will always be sisters, connected forever. I just have to learn to share her now. But we have to get to her first."  
  
Jarod hung his head again. "You're not going to like what I have to say."  
  
Becky looked at Jarod with a puzzled look. "Why?"  
  
He pushed off the building and turned to look at Becky. "The children need to be transported to Angel's Hope."  
  
"I know that Jarod. Why wouldn't I like that?" Becky asked as she jumped off the sidewalk to the gravel driveway. "I know the children are very nervous."  
  
"They won't go alone. They're very afraid right now. I need for you and Mark to take them back." Jarod said as he kicked a stone.  
  
Becky grabbed Jarod's arm. "No Jarod. You need my help. Lily needs my help!"  
  
Jarod patted her hand with his own. "Those children need you more. There are too many for Mark to handle alone. Plus you can read them and have some idea how they are feeling. Plus Mark will have his hands full dealing with their emotional aftermath."  
  
It was Becky's turn to kick the gravel. Pellets flew everywhere. She knew he was right. Mark was the psychologist and would be dealing with their emotional needs. "Choices. That's what this is all about. Lily makes a choice and she ends up tangoing with a Madman. The Madman makes the choice to create children and then I have to choose between the welfare of the children or my sister. I hate my choices, can I have some others."  
  
Jarod put his arm around Becky. "I know. I don't like them either. It's just how the damn Story goes. Parker said that once to me. At the time the words stung like a thousand bees. But now I know that we can't always make the decisions we want to make verses what we have to make." Becky shook her head in agreement. "I'll help you get the children to the plane and then I'll find a way to Lily."  
  
"Agreed." Becky noticed the curtains move in the room that Jarod had occupied. She looked into the room quickly as the curtains went back in place. "But I can think of one thing that is worse than having to go into the Centre."  
  
Jarod looked with confusion at Becky. "Worse?"  
  
Becky smiled as she passed Jarod going toward the motel. "We have to get this bunch of kids cleaned up and fed before we go." Becky opened the door and showed Jarod what she had seen through the window. The children were running all over the room with Mark in the middle trying to keep order.  
  
Jarod laughed as he passed Becky and walked into the room. "I think it's going to be a long morning." Becky followed and shut the door.  
  
******************************  
  
The plane made its slow descent over the mountains. Ethan could see the top of Angel's Hope in the distance. The newly fallen snow gave the mountain a fresh white glow. The bare trees looked like scarecrows in the darkness. The moon gave off enough light that the snow glistened on the branches.  
  
It had been a long trip. Emily, Thomas, and Major Charles had all fallen asleep. Ethan had been restless. The voices were telling him that something bad was about to happen. Lily and Lyle were in trouble, but he couldn't decipher whether the threat was from Raines or something else.  
  
The Stewardess came into the cabin through a door from the cockpit. "Sir. We are making our final approach. I will need everyone to be buckled in." The young woman smiled.  
  
"Thank you. I'll wake the others and make sure they are secure."  
  
"Thank you." The woman smiled, turned and headed back into the cockpit.  
  
Ethan got up out of his seat and went over to Emily. She looked so peaceful sleeping; her brown hair draped over half her face. He had to keep her safe. He had to keep them all safe. That was his mission. He was the catalyst. The person that joined the two families. Hopefully Jarod and Parker would make that bond stronger. And he wondered, if the voices were true, that maybe Lily and Lyle would too. HE shook Emily's shoulder gently. "Emily. You have to get up. Were about to land."  
  
Emily stirred as she picked her head up. "Hope I wasn't drooling." She saliently checked her chin. She moved over and shook Thomas. "Hey kid. We're going to land."  
  
Ethan laughed and went to Major Charles. "Dad." Ethan shook him a little harder. "Dad. Time to get up. We're here."  
  
Major Charles' eyelids fluttered. He sat up stretching the crick he had in his back. "How long have I been asleep?"  
  
"A few hours. You have to buckle up, we're landing." Ethan took the seat next to his father.  
  
"What are we walking into Ethan?" Charles asked as he buckled up.  
  
"More important - do they have ice cream?" Came Thomas' question from behind them.  
  
"Yes Thomas, they have ice cream." Ethan looked over at Major Charles. "I have a surprise for you."  
  
"A surprise?" Charles asked curious.  
  
"You'll see after we land." Ethan said as he leaned back and felt the plane go into final approach.  
  
**************************  
  
Jarod and Becky had gotten the children calmed down and had breakfast brought in for them. After all the children had eaten, Jarod sat them down and explained what was about to happen. He told them all about Angel's Hope and how there were people there that would love and protect them.  
  
Becky ordered the vans and then watched hysterically as Mark tried to get the younger children in it. The children were running around the vans with Mark running after them trying to explain the benefit of getting in the van in an orderly fashion.  
  
Jarod had come up behind the chuckling woman. "You are wicked. Help him."  
  
"OK. OK. Children. If everyone gets in the van, I will give you something called Gummy Bears. They are delicious and chewy and I'm sure not like anything you have ever had before." Becky held up a bag of gummies she had purchased during breakfast. The children started piling into the vans. Mark gave a look at Becky who shrugged her shoulders and went about helping the smaller ones into the van.  
  
A half-hour later the children were at the airfield and being walked to the planes. Kelly, one of the last children stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
Becky turned to see that Kelly had stopped. She ordered one of the guards to help the children and went to the young girl. "Kelly. You have nothing to be afraid of. It's just an airplane. It will take you to your new home."  
  
Jarod had come off the plane where he had been bringing the babies on board. He spotted Becky talking to a resisting Kelly. He hopped off the stairs and went over to the fighting couple. "What's wrong?"  
  
Becky looked up frustrated. "She won't get on the plane."  
  
Jarod leaned down so that he was on one knee. "Kelly. Why don't you want to get on the plane?"  
  
Kelly looked at Becky. "Can't you feel it? His sister is going to blow herself up."  
  
Becky looked at Jarod with wide eyes.  
  
"No." Is all that Jarod could say.  
  
***************************  
  
It is said that sacrifice can be a person's greatest gift. Some Players embrace it, some resist it. In the end, everyone sacrifices something. You can only hope that the price enriches the Game. 


	54. The Circle of Love

Chapter 54: The Circle of Love  
  
It is said that sacrifice can be a person's greatest gift. Some Players embrace it, some resist it. In the end, everyone sacrifices something. You can only hope that the price enriches the Game.  
  
*************************  
  
Jarod had come off the plane where he had been bringing the babies on board. He spotted Becky talking to a resisting Kelly. He hopped off the stairs and went over to the fighting couple. "What's wrong?"  
  
Becky looked up frustrated. "She won't get on the plane."  
  
Jarod leaned down so that he was on one knee. "Kelly. Why don't you want to get on the plane?"  
  
Kelly looked at Becky. "Can't you feel it? His sister is going to blow herself up."  
  
Becky looked at Jarod with wide eyes.  
  
"No." Is all that Jarod could say.  
  
Becky took the young child's hands. "You mean like a metaphor. Like she hurts inside."  
  
Kelly started shaking her head no. "No. Like in she is going to blow up the other bad place." Kelly turned to Jarod. "She doesn't want anyone else to get hurt there."  
  
Jarod looked at Becky with concern. "Have you felt anything like this?"  
  
"I haven't tried since the last time. We were so busy with NuGenesis and the children I just blocked everything else out."  
  
Jarod got up and ran to the plane, Becky and Kelly following. He grabbed Veronica, who was coming off the plane. "Was Lily carrying explosives on her?"  
  
"What?" The startled woman asked.  
  
"Did Lily have explosives on her when she was captured by the Centre?" Jarod asked having already seen his answer in her eyes.  
  
"That's classified." Veronica answered back.  
  
Becky grabbed Veronica's arm and swung the woman toward her. "Classified my ass. Was she carrying explosives on her?"  
  
Veronica's shock was evident on her face. "Becky. You know procedure. An order is an order."  
  
"I don't care about orders. I care about Lily. Was she planning on blowing that place to kingdom come if she couldn't get out?"  
  
"She had a special explosive compound sewn into her costume and the detonator placed in her belt buckle. Very powerful stuff that she had created. That's why no one was suppose to go after her if she couldn't get out. Her orders were very specific. No pity rescues. If the situation warranted it, she was going to stop Dr. Raines at all costs."  
  
Jarod's mind was racing. "What she doesn't know is that we lost Debbie. So the next likely spot they would hide her is at the Centre. It's not just her life anymore that's in jeopardy. What was she thinking?"  
  
Becky grabbed Jarod's hand. She tried to establish a connection with Angelo. She was so upset, she wasn't sure she could connect again. But then Kelly grabbed Becky's, then Jarod's hands and smiled.  
  
Angelo was placing one of the last small mounds of explosive in the airshaft when he felt Becky reaching out to him. "Sister."  
  
Becky's heart started racing as she saw what Angelo had been doing. "Timmy. What is that in front of you?"  
  
Jarod waited anxiously. "What do you see Becky?"  
  
Angelo sat himself up against the shaft wall. "Lily says it's the only way to protect her family."  
  
"Timmy listen to me. Whatever Lily told you to do you have to stop. You can't blow up the Centre. We think Debbie Broots may be there." Becky pleaded.  
  
Angelo perked at the mention of the name Broots. "Debbie here?"  
  
"Yes Timmy. We lost Debbie, so we think they are taking her there. I know you have the trigger device. Please don't use it. Jarod will find a way to get them out. Can you find her for us?" Becky closed her eyes and held her breath praying that Timmy understood her.  
  
Angelo sat there not knowing what to do. He knew that Lily was right, but he also knew that Jarod was right. He concentrated on the events that had transpired and Becky got hit with all the images. She gasped for breath. "See sister."  
  
Becky acknowledged him. "Yes Angelo. I saw."  
  
Angelo rocked back and forth a few moments, then stopped. "Angelo won't blow up the Centre - now. Wait for Jarod. But if Jarod doesn't come, then BOOM."  
  
Both Becky and Kelly let go of Jarod. Jarod looked between the two of them. "Well?"  
  
"He said that he will wait a little while for you to come, but..." Becky hesitated.  
  
"But what Becky?" Jarod asked getting impatient.  
  
"But if you can't get in there and get Debbie and Lily out, he's going to continue with Lily's request." Becky ended.  
  
"Damn. How much time do I have?" Jarod started shuffling Kelly toward the plane.  
  
Becky followed. "I don't know. He didn't specify." Becky grabbed Jarod's arm. "Jarod stop. I got the distinct feeling that they are all running out of time."  
  
"I know Becky. I know." Jarod replied.  
  
Becky pushed Jarod's arm away. "No. You don't know. Timmy knows. Lily knows. But you don't know. Jarod, I don't think this place is like you remember it. I saw what you went through. In this last vision I could see walls that changed from walls to clear. And Lily was trying to get to some kind of ventilation shaft and the grate was electrified. I could feel their panic and pain - including Lyle. Timmy wouldn't be doing this if the situation wasn't so bad that even he couldn't empath any other ending."  
  
Jarod tried envisioning what Becky was saying. "The new SL-27 for the 21st Century."  
  
"The last thing I saw Jarod was Lily in some sort of chair. I think he's trying to brainwash her. And you know she would rather die than submit to Raines."  
  
"So Lily calculates her options and sees no other recourse, so she tells Angelo to plant the explosives. Can you finish up here?"  
  
"Yes. Go!" Becky said half-pushing Jarod on his way.  
  
Jarod took off toward the van. He turned half way there. "Veronica!" Jarod screamed.  
  
The two women, who had started to board the plane, turned on the steps. "Yes." Veronica yelled back.  
  
"Tell Parker that Broots is going to have to get me a more detailed floor plan of SL-27. Tell her what's happening and she'll know what I need."  
  
"Will do." Veronica acknowledged.  
  
With that Jarod ran the rest of the way and disappeared into the waiting van. He gave the driver instructions and sat back into the bench seat calculating what his next move would be. The van sped off in a veil of smoke.  
  
****************************  
  
Ethan leaned up against the frame of the door and peered at the sleeping woman. The voices that were screaming in his head told him that major things were happening. His family was in trouble. After the plane had landed, he had taken an exhausted Emily, Thomas, and Major Charles to their rooms. The Major had protested, stating that Ethan had promised a special surprise.  
  
But even he couldn't argue that with all the running, he was exhausted. And Ethan had told him that this was an occasion where they needed to be fully rested. So he had introduced them to Dr. Stedman and they had been shown to their rooms.  
  
Now he just stared at the woman who bound them all together. He hoped that he was right and that this was going to be a joyful time for them. But looking at the form lying in the bed with an IV coming out of her arm and monitors around her, she looked so frail.  
  
Ethan pushed himself off the doorframe and walked a few doors down the hall. He peeked into that room and saw the sleeping figure of a man. A man filled with despair and sadness. Another person caught in the Centre's web of lies and deceit.  
  
He walked away from Broots' room and headed for his own. He entered the dark room and lay on the bed. He tried to concentrate so he could sort the numerous voices he was hearing. He wanted to hear his mother's voice. It seemed that no matter how bad things ever got, his mother's voice always seemed to calm him. His mother's whispers lulled the tired man enough so that he drifted into a deep sleep. The last thing he heard was. "They will soon all be reunited."  
  
A few hours later Ethan was woken up by a slight shake. "Get up sleepy head."  
  
Ethan opened his eyes to see Emily and Thomas standing over him. "Good morning." He said half asleep.  
  
"Try good afternoon. Dad is going crazy waiting for you. He's had like twenty cups of coffee. Any more and he's going to climb the walls. Can you please tell him why you brought us here?" Emily offered her hand out to pull Ethan up.  
  
"I brought you some donuts. Thought you might be hungry since you missed breakfast. They especially taste good when you put ice cream on top, but the staff wouldn't let me have ice cream for breakfast." Thomas offered the donuts to Ethan. "Jarod let me have ice cream for breakfast."  
  
"Thanks Thomas. I think I will. And I think you'll have a harder time convincing the nutritionist here that ice cream is a suitable nutritional breakfast meal, than Jarod." Ethan took the donuts and started to munch on the chocolate frosted one. "OK. I think it's time for the surprise." Ethan led the two out the door and then he stopped short. There were two guards standing outside his door. "Where is Dad?"  
  
"Dr. Stedman thought that he would enjoy a tour of the facility." Emily chimed in as she took the lead.  
  
"She thought that he needed to get some energy out is more like it. And we get the babysitters." Thomas added as he nodded toward the guards and started to peek from room to room.  
  
"Thomas, stop that. You're invading people's privacy." Emily poked him.  
  
'Ok. Ok. I was just observing." Thomas retaliated.  
  
Ethan turned to the two guards. "Can you please contact Dr. Stedman and ask her to bring our...Father to my visitor's room. She'll know what I'm talking about." One of the men took out his cell phone and called Dr. Stedman. After a few moments of discussion he hung up the phone.  
  
"Dr. Stedman said that she would be with us momentarily." The man reported.  
  
Ethan led the group to the nurse's station and stopped. "We'll wait here."  
  
"Here? This is the great surprise? A nurse's station." Thomas asked.  
  
"Is he always this annoying?" Ethan whispered to Emily.  
  
She smiled. "He's a teenager. What did you expect?"  
  
"Maybe we should have let Raines keep him till he got out of this phase." Ethan looked at Thomas as he examined everything in the nurse's station even with the protest of the poor nurse who was in charge.  
  
"Bite your tongue. No one should be in that place or with that man." Emily shuttered as she remembered what her research had uncovered. "You above anyone else should know that."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. It wasn't something I should have joked about." Ethan lowered his head.  
  
"Seems that Thomas takes after more than just one of his brother's." Emily smiled as she went around the station window to retrieve Thomas. 'Thomas. Come on. Leave this poor woman alone to do her job."  
  
Just then Ethan spotted Dr. Stedman coming down the hallway with his father. She greeted the young man. "Ethan. I have delivered your Father as requested."  
  
"I can't believe the size of this facility. And the fact that no one is aware of its existence. It's remarkable. You should be commended Dr. Stedman."  
  
"Thank you. I appreciate the compliment, but I didn't do it alone. It was Catherine Parker's dream. And the success of our programs is in large part due to your daughter. Lily is a remarkable young woman."  
  
"So I've heard. I just hope I'll get to meet her one-day." Major Charles' eyes teared up.  
  
Emily saw her father's reaction and put her arms around him. "Jarod will get her out. He better. I want to meet my older sister."  
  
Ethan saw his father's reaction and thought it was time. "Dad. I brought you here for a reason. I wanted everyone to be safe. But before that, I've been on a mission for the last couple of months. The fruit of that mission, I want to bring to you. Please follow me." Ethan led the group down the hallway. He stopped at the room next to his own. He motioned for Major Charles to enter the room.  
  
Major Charles entered the room and saw the figure of a woman lying in the bed. Her head was turned away from him. But then he spotted the red hair. He moved quickly over towards the bed as Emily and Thomas followed him into the room. Ethan and Dr. Stedman brought up the rear. Major Charles leaned down next to the bed. "Oh my God. Margaret."  
  
*************************  
  
Lily stood in library at Angel's Hope. The children were in story time and were listening to their teacher intently. Lily smiled as she saw the gleaming faces of the children. It made her feel warm and safe. She saw herself sitting there, listening to the stories, and not having a care in the world. She was so happy then.  
  
"Sickening, isn't it?" A voice came from behind her.  
  
Lily spun to see herself standing there. But it wasn't her. Something was different in the person that was dressed totally in black; black leather pants and a black long sleeve shirt. "No. It was wonderful."  
  
"Lulling these children into a false sense of security. That someone would always be there to protect them." The doppelganger taunted Lily.  
  
"Someone was always there. Catherine, Joan, Me." Lily retaliated.  
  
"You think you are going to be there for them? You have no idea." The other Lily went and knocked over one child and then another. Each child just fell over and looked as if they were dead.  
  
"Leave them alone!" Lily screamed as she tried to get to the children.  
  
The Other pushed her back. "You can't stop this. Anymore than you can stop me. Soon you won't exist." She got to the young Lily who looked up with fear in her eyes. The child struggled as she was lifted by the neck, her arms clawing at the death grip that strangled her. "Soon only I will exist."  
  
Lily thought for a moment and then charged at the Other. She flipped kicking her in the chest so that she had to release the child. Lily jumped back up on her feet. "You will never get my life."  
  
The Other got to her feet. "The Game is almost over. You'll never win."  
  
Lily circled the woman. "I'm not willing to give up my life just yet." Lily went to charge the woman when she felt a pain on the side of her head. "Ahhhhhh." Lily fell to her knees.  
  
The Other started laughing. "I don't think you have a choice." She kicked Lily in the side and she crumbled to the floor.  
  
***************************  
  
The Game is twisting and turning. The Players prepare for their roles. The Playing Field is changing; readying for the end. Who will hold the final card? 


	55. Reunion

Chapter 55: Reunion  
  
The Game is twisting and turning. The Players prepare for their roles. The Playing Field is changing; readying for the end. Who will hold the final card?  
  
*************************  
  
"You think you are going to be there for them? You have no idea." The other Lily went and knocked over one child and then another. Each child just fell over and looked as if they were dead.  
  
"Leave them alone!" Lily screamed as she tried to get to the children.  
  
The Other pushed her back. "You can't stop this. Anymore than you can stop me. Soon you won't exist." She got to the young Lily who looked up with fear in her eyes. The child struggled as she was lifted by the neck, her arms clawing at the death grip that strangled her. "Soon only I will exist."  
  
Lily thought for a moment and then charged at the Other. She flipped kicking her in the chest so that she had to release the child. Lily jumped back up on her feet. "You will never get my life."  
  
The Other got to her feet. "The Game is almost over. You'll never win."  
  
Lily circled the woman. "I'm not willing to give up my life just yet." Lily went to charge the woman when she felt a pain on the side of her head. "Ahhhhhh." Lily fell to her knees.  
  
The Other started laughing. "I don't think you have a choice." She kicked Lily in the side and she crumbled to the floor.  
  
Lily's eyes fluttered open. She tried focusing on objects, but her sight was blurry and distorted.  
  
"Mr. Raines. She is awake." A technician was standing next to Lily holding her wrist and taking her pulse. She placed Lily's wrist down and moved out of Raines' way.  
  
Raines came over to the hospital bed dragging his air tank behind him. "How are you feeling Lily?" Raines looked like a child waiting to be given a new toy.  
  
"Groggy. Everything is fuzzy." The woman stated as she tried to sit up, but realized that she was restrained at the chest and legs.  
  
"That's the medication. Don't try to get up, it's not time yet. Do you know where you are?" Anticipation showed all over Raines' face.  
  
"The Centre." Lily replied through dry lips. She squinted her eyes and barely made out the shapes of Willie and Sam.  
  
Raines smiled. "Good. How do you feel about being at the Centre?"  
  
Lily couldn't respond. She tried, but couldn't speak. She knew that there was something wrong. Something was happening to her - an internal battle. "I.I." But the words stuck in her throat.  
  
Raines hit Lily's bed. "What's wrong? She should be answering automatically." He stalked over to the monitor machine, his tank squeaking as he went, which showed the print outs from Lily's chip. He pushed one of the other technicians out of the way.  
  
The technician tried to explain as Raines pushed him. "Mr. Raines, according to the monitor everything is functioning normally."  
  
"Well obviously it's not or I would have my answer from her wouldn't I?" Raines started reading all the readings from the previous hour.  
  
"Well at least she didn't wake up wanting to kick ass." Sam said from the other side of the room.  
  
Raines' head shot up. "What did you say?"  
  
Sam became suddenly uncomfortable. "Umm. Mr. Raines. I said that she at least didn't wake up wanting to fight." Sam moved nervously in his spot.  
  
Raines smiled. "You're right Sam. Maybe it's going to take a little more time." Raines moved around the equipment and went back to Lily's bedside. "I think you will need to spend a little more time with my program."  
  
Tears welled in Lily's eyes. And she managed to get one word out. "No."  
  
"In a few days you won't be saying that." Raines leaned down next to Lily's ear. "Soon you will tell me where you came from and where Jarod and Miss Parker are."  
  
Lily turned her head to the side and started to cry, because she knew that he was right.  
  
**************************  
  
Charles moved closer to Margaret's bed.  
  
"Mom?" Emily questioned as she approached the bed next to her father. She wiped a tear away from her cheek as she watched her father move the hair away from her mother's face. She looked back at Ethan standing just inside the doorway. "You did this? You found her?"  
  
Ethan shook his head in acknowledgment.  
  
Emily came running around the bed and threw her arms around Ethan. "Thank you." She kissed Ethan's cheek. "I should have known if anyone could find her, it would be you."  
  
Ethan looked down at the floor. "I'm afraid just a few minutes too late. The Sweepers got to her before I could. They did this to her."  
  
Major Charles outlined the contour of his wife's face. A face he hadn't seen in too many years. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you." He whispered into Margaret's ear. He turned to say something to Ethan when he heard a faint voice.  
  
"You were always ready to blame yourself."  
  
Charles whipped his head back to look at Margaret. Her eyes were partially open and she was smiling. "Margaret? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. How are you feeling?" He took her hands in his.  
  
"Like a Mac truck ran me over. But I'll be all right. I'm an O'Connor. And it'll take more than those Sweepers to knock me out of the race. Especially now that you're here." She smiled the brightest smile the Major had ever seen.  
  
Emily had come back around the bed. "Hi Mom. I missed you so much." She gently kissed her mother on the cheek. "I'm sorry we got separated."  
  
Margaret smiled. "It's all right Honey." Tears welled up in her eyes.  
  
Charles became concerned. "What's wrong Margaret?"  
  
She moved a little. "I don't see Jarod. Haven't you found Jarod yet?" Margaret looked like she was going to cry.  
  
"I found him Margaret. He's handsome, good-hearted and very intelligent. He's been looking for us the last six years."  
  
Margaret smiled. "My little genius. Where is he?" She looked into Charles' eyes and could see his pain. "Where is our son?"  
  
Major Charles looked to Dr. Stedman for an answer as to whether he could tell her the truth. "Doctor. Is she strong enough for this? Shouldn't we be letting her get some rest?"  
  
Margaret reached up and pulled his face around to face her. "Don't be coddling me Charles O'Connor. I want to know where my son is."  
  
Emily moved closer to her mother and sat on the bed. She took her mother's hand in hers. "Mom, please don't get yourself so excited. It can't be good for you. Obviously you've been through some sort of horrible ordeal. Why don't you get some sleep and we'll talk more later." Emily patted her mother's hand.  
  
Margaret sat up and swayed a little, as she became lightheaded. "I will not be treated as a child. I have been chased, run down, beaten, and shot at. What could be any worse than that?" She looked between Emily and Charles.  
  
"He went back to the Centre." Ethan announced from his place by the door. Ethan had kept quiet and away from Charles and Emily, so that they could have their reunion. Thomas had stayed next to him, uncomfortable with the situation. Margaret's eyes filled with fear.  
  
Charles turned and looked at Ethan with anger. "Why did you do that?"  
  
"Because she has the right to know. Because she is stronger than you think. I have seen her fend off three Sweepers. She's no delicate flower." Ethan looked to Margaret.  
  
She took a better look at the young man standing by the door. "Young man. Please come here."  
  
Ethan moved closer to the left side of Margaret's bed. "Yes Ma'am."  
  
"A young man with manners. A rare breed these days." Margaret patted the bed so that Ethan would sit down next to her. "You're the man who rescued me, aren't you?"  
  
Suddenly Ethan felt like he was blushing. "Yes Mrs. O'Connor. I was the one who rescued you from the Sweepers."  
  
Margaret gently took her hand and ran it down the side of Ethan's face. "Thank you. Now will you please tell me what my husband fears will upset me?"  
  
Ethan shook her hands in reaffirment. "There are three things that happened at the Centre that directly effect you. But I don't think I should be the one telling you." Ethan looked over at his father. "I think you need to tell her." Ethan moved off the bed.  
  
Margaret turned to Charles. "Well?"  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this now? You look so pale and..." Charles saw the look on Margaret's face. After so many years he still recognized that tell me or die look. "All right. Do you remember how when Jarod was born Dr. Raines wouldn't allow me in the delivery room?"  
  
Margaret shook her head in acknowledgement. "Yes. I was having complications. They had to put me under general anesthetic."  
  
"It wasn't a complication like you would have thought. Raines had ulterior motives. Do you remember how when you were pregnant that we use to say that you looked like you were carrying twins?" Major Charles looked down.  
  
"Yes. I was as big as a house. I..." And then it hit her what he was trying to say. And his face gave her the answer. "I was carrying twins, wasn't I?"  
  
Major Charles shook his head in agreement. "Yes. A little girl. They named her Lily."  
  
"They stole her before we even got to know her. I don't know what is worse. Them giving us Jarod and then taking him away or taking our baby from when she was born."  
  
"I know Sweetheart. I know. They have stolen everything from us - our children, our normalcy, being able to watch our children grow up to be wonderful adults." Charles took his wife's hands into his own. "I have missed talking to you."  
  
"Me too. So what is the second thing that has happened?" Margaret asked even though she could feel herself losing her strength.  
  
"I'm not sure you will want to hear this." Margaret once again gave her husband the stare of death. "O.K. The Centre had specimens from both of us still at NuGenesis. They used mine to impregnate Catherine Parker. She had a baby boy and then Raines killed her."  
  
Margaret had gasped slightly, but tried to hide her horrific feelings. "Raines has your son?"  
  
Charles looked down and squeezed Margaret's hands for reassurance. "He did, for a while. But Jarod and Emily found him. He's sitting right next to you. This is Ethan." Charles motioned toward Ethan.  
  
"Catherine's son." She took Ethan's hands into her own. "You poor boy. Catherine would have been a wonderful mother." Margaret tried to hide the hurt that Ethan was also Charles' son and not her own. "But you're with us now. One of the family. Thank you for finding me and reuniting me with my family."  
  
Ethan knew that the woman was hurt. "You can thank Catherine Parker. She led me to you and everyone else."  
  
Margaret shook her head. "You have your mother's Inner Sense. That's good. It will help you in life; keep listening to her." Margaret moved cautiously in her bed. All the movement had started to hurt her shoulder. She turned back to Charles. "So now for what you really don't want to tell me. Why did Jarod go back to the Centre?"  
  
Charles cleared his throat. "Lily was having a hard time finding out who she was and how she was born. She went back to the Centre to get answers and..."  
  
Margaret closed her eyes trying to keep back the tears. "And Jarod went after her. We're going to lose both of them."  
  
Emily cut into the conversation. "If anyone can get her out, it's Jarod."  
  
"And he has help. A man named Angelo at the Centre, a woman named Becky here, and Miss Parker." Ethan added.  
  
"Catherine Parker's daughter? She's part of the Centre. Why would she be helping Jarod?" Margaret looked to Ethan, Charles and Emily.  
  
"I may be able to answer that." Joan Stedman entered more into the room. She had been keeping her distance so that the family could have a little privacy. "During the last few weeks, Jarod and Miss Parker have become...shall we say.romantically connected."  
  
Margaret, Emily, and Charles sat shocked. Emily was the first to speak. "Big brother is in love with the enemy. Who would ever have imagined it?"  
  
"Emily." Charles nudged his daughter. "I'm sure there has to be a reasonable explanation for it."  
  
"They have been together a long time. Ever since Jarod first went to the Centre. They have a bond and from what I'm told, always have. They have been through a lot together and apart." Joan added.  
  
"Casualties of War." Ethan added.  
  
Margaret closed her eyes. "Dear God. Watch over my babies and keep them safe. Please. Amen" A tear formed in the corner of Margaret's eyes.  
  
"They're going to need all the help they can get. Ditto God." Emily concluded.  
  
Margaret looked at Charles. "And the third?"  
  
Charles motioned for Thomas to come toward Margaret's bed. "Thomas is the third."  
  
Margaret looked at the young man. "You look so familiar. It's like I should know you?"  
  
Charles held Margaret's hands tightly. "Margaret. There's no simple way to say this, so I'm just going to say it. Thomas is Jarod's clone."  
  
Margaret sat silent for a few moments with a blank stare.  
  
Charles looked at his wife with concern. "Margaret? Are you all right?"  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, Margaret finally blinked. "Is that feasibly possible? I mean I know they cloned that cute little sheep, but my son?"  
  
Thomas lowered his head, suddenly feeling very weird and out of place.  
  
Margaret saw the boy's face. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry. This is just a lot to take in at one time. Come here." Margaret opened her arms to Thomas, who passed by Ethan to sit next to Margaret. She gave him a hug. "I'm sorry."  
  
Thomas liked the feel of being in this woman's arms. It felt comforting. "It's all right. I understand."  
  
A movement in the hallway caught Major Charles attention.  
  
*****************************  
  
Parker walked down the halls of the medical wing. The click, click of her heels made a rhythmic sound. So many things had happened since Jarod left. Her revelations to Joan Stedman, Jarod's call telling her that he had lost Debbie, the nursing staff telling her that Broots had thrown everything, and Becky's return without Jarod.  
  
She rounded the corner from the nurse's station and heard numerous voices. Seemed that Broots had some neighbors. She approached the room where the voices were emanating and saw Dr. Stedman. "Hello Joan. I was just going in to see Broo..." She stopped dead in her words. Looking at her from the room were Margaret, Emily, and Charles O'Connor. "Oh God."  
  
Charles' face hardened. "You."  
  
***************************  
  
A Player's sanity borders on the edge Of an unstable Playing Field. A Knight is riding in on a horse called Hope. But can he overcome the Black King before the Pawn is sacrificed. 


	56. The Edge of Sanity

Chapter 56: The Edge of Sanity  
  
A Player's sanity borders on the edge Of an unstable Playing Field. A Knight is riding in on a horse called Hope. But can he overcome the Black King before the Pawn is sacrificed.  
  
*************************  
  
Parker walked down the halls of the medical wing. The click, click of her heels made a rhythmic sound. So many things had happened since Jarod left. Her revelations to Joan Stedman, Jarod's call telling her that he had lost Debbie, the nursing staff telling her that Broots had thrown everything in his room, and Becky's return without Jarod.  
  
She rounded the corner from the nurse's station and heard numerous voices. Seemed that Broots had some neighbors. She approached the room where the voices were emanating and saw Dr. Stedman. "Hello Joan. I was just going in to see Broo..." She stopped dead in her tracks. Looking at her from the room were Margaret, Emily, and Charles O'Connor. "Oh God."  
  
Charles' face hardened. "You."  
  
There have been very few times in Parker's life when she had been speechless - this was one of them. The people she had been hunting for the last six years were all just sitting there for the capture. This instinct then turned to uneasiness as she looked at their frightened and angered faces. Because they weren't just prey, they were Jarod's family. She tried to formulate the correct words to say and decided on. "I'm not here to harm you."  
  
"You helped do this to us." Charles said getting up off of Margaret's bed. "You and your family."  
  
Ethan quickly moved between his sister and Major Charles. "It's good to see you again Miss Parker. Dad please." Ethan had a pleading look on his face.  
  
Parker's uneasiness calmed a little. "It's good to see you too Ethan. Jarod told me you had gone off to find yourself. It seems you found a few other people along the way?"  
  
"Margaret was shot by one of your Sweepers. If it weren't for Ethan, she would be in their hands or dead." Charles' anger was growing. He was about to continue when Margaret cut him off.  
  
"Charles. Enough." Margaret said in a stern voice that made everyone in the room look. "Placing blame will get us no where. Come here dear." Margaret motioned for Parker to come fully into the room.  
  
Parker put on her best Ice Princess look and strode into the room. She came up next to Margaret's bed. "Hello Mrs. O'Connor. Nice to see you again."  
  
"Again?" Charles asked confused that his wife seemed to have known who Parker was.  
  
"Yes dear. We met briefly on Carthis. I believe we were both looking for the same thing, weren't we Miss Parker." Margaret smiled at Parker.  
  
"I believe so. An end to all the madness." Parker retorted realizing what Margaret was talking about.  
  
"Did Ocee help you find what we were looking for? I see you weathered the storm rather well."  
  
"Yes. Jarod and I found the doll and he figured out it's meaning. Then Raines and my father came in and took the scrolls."  
  
Margaret's eyes turned to panic. "Dr. Raines and Robert Parker have the scrolls and my children?"  
  
Joan was just about to jump into the conversation, when Parker answered. "No! No! My father jumped out of the plane with them. Raines hasn't, up to the time of my coming here, found them."  
  
"Good." Margaret eased a little, then a light came on. "Jarod was on Carthis? When I was on Carthis?"  
  
Parker shook her head in agreement. "Yes. We were both there. He tried to find you, but you had already left on the last boat off the island."  
  
Margaret's face saddened. "So close. I didn't know. I couldn't stay."  
  
"Because you saw the Centre helicopter land didn't you?" Parker asked as she realized that Jarod had been right. And she was the reason that Margaret had left.  
  
"Yes. But first I tried to hide. Then a monk came in and he had a gun. He shot at me and I was bleeding. So I dropped the doll, ran into you, and ran for the boat as fast as I could."  
  
Charles shook his head. "Now wait. Let me get this straight. You went to an island, got shot at by a monk, saw Miss Parker, and left during some sort of storm, which stranded our son with Centre personnel?"  
  
"That's about right dear. Typical day for me." Margaret smiled. She was trying to get Charles to ease up on Parker.  
  
And he did. Charles couldn't help but snicker. "Stop that. I'm being serious. Margaret, you could have been killed."  
  
Margaret took a deep breath. "I could have been killed any time during the last 30 years, but I wasn't. Because it wasn't my time to die yet. We all have a purpose Charles. You know I believe that. We still have things to accomplish, including getting the rest of our family together. Which seems to be growing by the minute." She smiled at Parker and then looked around the room.  
  
This one reassuring smile warmed Parker. Margaret had acknowledged that she was part of their family. Someone must have told her about her and Jarod's relationship. Who squealed she wondered? "I was on my way to see a friend who was brought here injured. The Centre took his daughter and we are trying to help Jarod rescue her. So I'll come and check in on you later on if that is all right."  
  
Margaret was confused. "That would be fine. I would like to talk to you alone later anyway. But I thought Jarod was going after Lily?"  
  
"He is." Joan started. "It's a long story and I think you have had quite enough commotion for now." Margaret was about to object, but Dr. Stedman interrupted. "Doctor's orders." Joan turned to everyone. "Why don't you go with Fred and he will escort you to the entertainment wing. I think you will find various activities to keep you occupied while your mother rests. You can all come back later on."  
  
"Excuse me." Thomas popped in. "But can I go with Miss Parker?"  
  
Charles jumped in. "I'm not sure Thomas that is a good idea.."  
  
"Please." The young man pleaded. "Please can I come with you Miss Parker? Maybe I can help."  
  
Parker didn't want to ruffle anything with Major Charles, but she also knew that if he was as persistent as the original he was never going to give them peace until she allowed him to come. "It would be all right with me. Maybe he can help Mr. Broots with the computer work. If it is all right with you." She spoke straight to Major Charles.  
  
"A leap of faith dear. Remember - she is Catherine's daughter." Margaret added.  
  
Knowing he was getting it from all sides, he relented. "For a little while. Thomas. That's all."  
  
"Great!" Thomas said excited.  
  
"Thank you." Parker said looking straight at Major Charles. "Let's go. Thomas? Did you pick that out?" The sound of that name hurt her. She remembered Tommy - how his smile lit up a room, how he could make everything in her life at that time not matter. It was how she felt now with Jarod.  
  
"Yes. It means twin." The two headed out the door. "I'd rather feel like a twin more than a clone. Little less freaky." They came to Broots' door.  
  
"Understood. Here we are. Do you remember Mr. Broots? He was the gentleman that was with me when we met you."  
  
"The geek?" Thomas put on a mischievous smile.  
  
"I prefer lovable moron, but yes. That was Mr. Broots." Parker pushed the door open.  
  
Broots was getting out of bed with his back to the door and turned to see who was coming in through the door. Thomas walked past Parker into the room. Broots expression turned to shock. "Ahhhhhhh. Another clone?"  
  
Thomas looked at Parker. She shook her head. "Same clone Broots. Thomas meet Mr. Broots."  
  
Broots stuttered. "Thom...Thomas?"  
  
"Got a problem with that Broots? He chose Thomas. It means twin." Parker came into the room fully.  
  
Thomas put out his hand. "Nice to meet you."  
  
Broots cautiously put his out as well and took the young man's hand. "Here too." Broots turned to Parker and spoke under his breath. "How did he get here?"  
  
"He came with Ethan. It's a Jarod family reunion it seems. Without the guest of honor." Parker became sullen.  
  
"Have you heard from Jarod Miss Parker? Has he found Debbie yet? I haven't heard a word since he called me to tell me that she was..." Broots choked on the words.  
  
"No. I haven't heard from him either. But his last message according to Becky was that he needed more detailed plans of SL-27. They have made an enormous amount of upgrades. We need to help him find the plans. Up to it?"  
  
"Anything for Debbie." Broots brought the computer they had left in his room around. "I'm not sure where to look."  
  
Thomas came and looked over Parker's shoulder. 'Well if we can get into the NuGenesis mainframe, you can always look in Mr. Raines' personal files. It was easy enough to get into the last time."  
  
Parker and Broots turned and looked at Thomas. "You know how to get into Raines' personal files? Here, show me." Parker pushed the computer towards Thomas and smiled like the Cheshire cat. "Got you, you wheezing sack of bones."  
  
**************************  
  
Jarod found himself in the arboretum at Angel's Hope. Everything was green and beautiful, but there was something wrong. He wasn't supposed to be here. Or was he. He heard a string of music that sounded familiar to him. Jarod followed the sound and stopped short.  
  
Sitting on one of the rocks was Lily rocking back and forth. "Cree Craw Toads Foot. Geese Walk Barefoot." She was singing it to herself over and over.  
  
"Lily?" Jarod asked approaching her and kneeling in front of the rock. He gently touched her arm, which stopped her rocking.  
  
"Jarod?" Lily asked as she raised her head off her knees. Her face was drawn and she looked tired. "This isn't real. You're just a figment in my mind."  
  
"Why are we here Lily?" Jarod asked concerned by his sister's appearance.  
  
"This is my safe place. Where I always felt safe. My last refuge." Lily looked at Jarod. "Why are you here?"  
  
"You said you would keep me in your thoughts when things got rough. I guess they're pretty bad huh?" Jarod ran his hand down Lily's cheek.  
  
"Yeah, you could say that. But it will be over soon. Timmy will make it go away." Lily looked away from Jarod.  
  
"He's waiting Lily. Waiting for me. I'm almost there. You just have to keep them out for a little longer." Jarod pleaded.  
  
Lily slid off the rock. "No. He promised. SL-27 has to be destroyed. It's horrible Jarod. Have him blow it now!" Lily crawled away from the rock under some trees.  
  
Jarod chased after her moving the branches to see where she had buried herself. "No! I won't let you die. And we lost Debbie. We think Raines brought her to the Centre. I won't lose both of you!"  
  
"You don't have a choice. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on. No where else to hide." She crawled from under the tree and stood up with difficulty. Trying to escape, but swaying as she walked. "I'm...I'm..." Lily looked ahead.  
  
Jarod came up behind her to help steady her. "You have to." Jarod looked beyond Lily and could see a small child who was watching a television. "Who is that and what is she watching?" Jarod stepped toward the young girl. He could see what she was watching. It was like watching one of his DSA's and then he understood. "Your childhood. This is you." He turned back around to see a tear rolling down Lily's cheek. "Is it the memories that are hurting you? Is Raines using them against you?"  
  
Lily turned back away from Jarod. She was staring straight ahead with anger in her eyes. Jarod came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. Then he saw what she was looking at - another Lily. Fully- grown wearing black leather - everything. "Who is that?"  
  
"If I'm correct - my chip. Or Raines' version of...me." Lily was talking through her teeth.  
  
"You must be the mighty Jarod." The Other said. "So you are the Yin to my Yang here." The Other motioned to Lily. "She's been a pain in my ass. Won't give in. Won't listen to what she is being told." The Other started to approach the two. "She won't cease to exist!"  
  
Jarod stood in front of Lily. "And she never will!" He turned back around to Lily. "You have to fight this." The room around them started getting dark. "No. Don't go Lily!"  
  
In the darkness Jarod heard Lily's voice. "If I lose this battle and we face each other, please stop me. Please protect Angel's Hope." Then Jarod was thrown into pitch-blackness.  
  
"Lily!" Jarod said as he awoke out of his dream. He was back in the hotel room with the model of the Centre sitting on the table in front of him. He must have fallen asleep as he was constructing the model layout of SL-27. He remembered he needed the more detailed plan, but didn't want to take a chance on waking Parker.  
  
Jarod looked at his watch and picked up his phone off the table. He hit the speed dial.  
  
Parker's phone rang. She took it out of her jacket pocket and flips it open. "What."  
  
"I thought you were going to work on that." Jarod cracked a small smile.  
  
"All right. Hello. Jarod you're not going to believe what's going on here."  
  
Jarod could hear excitement in Parker's voice. "Is everyone all right? Has the Centre found Angel's Hope?"  
  
"No. Nothing like that. We got into Raines' personal files. We found the exact plans for the renovations of SL-27. You can rescue Lily and Debbie and send Raines to hell where he belongs."  
  
"Tell Mr. Broots thank you. How fast can you download them to me? I don't think we have much more time." Jarod said as he paced in anticipation.  
  
"Broots didn't find it. Jarod this isn't the biggest news. Hold on." Parker left Broots' room and walked the few doors down. Jarod could hear her knock on a door and ask if she could enter. "Jarod. I have someone here who wants to talk to you." Parker handed the phone to Margaret.  
  
"Jarod?" Margaret's voice shook at the realization that she was talking to her son. "It's Mom."  
  
**************************  
  
Lily tossed in her bed. Her arms were strapped to the bed and she pulled against the leather strips.  
  
Raines came and looked over her bed. "She's fighting the programming."  
  
The technician monitoring the equipment moved nervously in his seat. "Yes Mr. Raines. She has been having high activity during REM."  
  
Raines dragged his tank over to the equipment. "Let's change the frequency of the rhythm and see if we can break the resistance." Raines was so involved in Lily's treatment, that he didn't notice someone slipping into the control room for Lyle.  
  
Sydney sat at the console and started bringing up Lyle's profile. "Let's see if we can find Bobby." Sydney started entering information into Lyle's program matrix.  
  
***************************  
  
A multilevel Playing Field Has now been put into the Game. Players stand ready to take their places. War is about to begin. 


	57. Metamorphous

Chapter 57: Metamorphous  
  
A multilevel Playing Field Has now been put into the Game. Players stand ready to take their places. War is about to begin.  
  
*************************  
  
Lily tossed in her bed. Her arms were strapped to the bed and she pulled against the leather strips.  
  
Raines came and looked over her bed. "She's fighting the programming."  
  
The technician monitoring the equipment moved nervously in his seat. "Yes Mr. Raines. She has been having high activity during REM."  
  
Raines dragged his tank over to the equipment. "Let's change the frequency of the rhythm and see if we can break the resistance." Raines was so involved in Lily's treatment, that he didn't notice someone slipping into the control room for Lyle.  
  
Sydney sat at the console and started bringing up Lyle's profile. "Let's see if we can find Bobby." Sydney started entering information into Lyle's program matrix. The program called for suppression of memories and obedience to Raines. Sydney rewrote the instructions to allow all of Lyle's memories to be remembered and to have free will. Then Sydney typed in that Lyle was to hide the fact that he could remember anything and act obediently. The last thing Sydney entered was for Lyle to try to find and listen to his Inner Sense. Sydney closed the program file and snuck out of Raines' office.  
  
**************************  
  
"Mom? How? When? Where did Parker find you?" Jarod was filled with excitement and bewilderment.  
  
"Hold on Jarod. So many questions. I've been waiting a lifetime to just hear your voice, but I wish I could see you in person. And I'm sorry Honey. Miss Parker didn't find me, Ethan did. There was a little to-do with some Sweepers and he brought me here."  
  
"Sweepers? Are you all right?" Jarod's heart started to beat faster with the thought that his Mother had come under attack by the Centre. "Were you injured?"  
  
"Jarod calm down. I'm fine." Parker went to say something, but Margaret put her finger to her lips to tell her to say nothing.  
  
"That's good Mom. I wish I was there to see you, but.I.have some business to do before I can come back to Angel's Hope." Jarod hoped the smoke screen sounded convincing.  
  
"I know about Lily, Jarod. I know you are heading back to the Centre." Margaret's voice quivered at the mention of that horrible place.  
  
"I wish Parker hadn't told you. You have enough to worry about, don't worry about what I'm doing." Jarod started pacing the room. He didn't want to be having this conversation with his mother. He always hoped that when he finally found her, it would be a joyous occasion. But Fate has a way of playing with one's expectations.  
  
"Don't blame Miss Parker dear, someone else here did. Hold on." Margaret handed the phone to Charles.  
  
Charles took the receiver. "Hello Son."  
  
"Dad! You're with Mom. Did Ethan find you too?" Jarod sat down on the bed. All his dreams were falling into place.  
  
"Ethan found Emily and I. Then we went and got Thomas. We're all here safe Son, but what about you? I can't say that I'm particularly thrilled to hear that you have to go back to the Centre."  
  
"Catherine Parker told me, before Ethan was born, that he would help me find my Mother. I guess she was right. That's why I have to do this Dad. We can't be complete unless we have Lily with us. I take it that you know about Lily as well."  
  
"Yes. Ethan and Dr. Stedman explained everything. Be careful. I want both of you back in one piece."  
  
Margaret reached out for Charles to hand her the phone. "Jarod, it's Mom again. I wanted to say 'I love you' before we hang up. Take that with you as you're going after your sister. Know that we will be here, praying for both of you."  
  
"I love you too Mom. I wish I could stay on the line longer, but I have to.." Jarod hesitated not wanting to say what had to happen next.  
  
"I know. You have to go. Time is of the essence." Parker was signaling that she needed to speak to Jarod. "Miss Parker says she needs to speak with you. So bye for now. We'll see you soon." Margaret handed the phone back to Parker. "Thank you Melissa."  
  
Parker's first reaction was to snap that she wasn't called by that name, but she looked into Margaret's eyes and saw the love of her Mother's friend. "You're welcome." Parker took the phone and exited Margaret's room, closing the door as she went. "Jarod."  
  
"Good. You came on the line. For a moment I thought you were killing my Mother." Jarod smiled as he thought of what her face must be looking like.  
  
"Funny Pez Boy. She may be the only one I allow to call me that. Jarod. Thomas got us into Raines' personal file server. The different files are encrypted. He and Broots deciphered and were downloading the exact plans for SL-27. There are all kinds of new security measures installed as well as an electrified duct system." Parker had reached Broots' room and peeked in. Thomas and Broots were deep in discussion. Broots directing and Thomas typing.  
  
"Is the whole duct system electrified?" Jarod asked as he went to his computer and started downloading the files that Broots had sent. The best way he knew around the Centre was through the duct system.  
  
Parker pushed the door open the rest of the way. "Broots. Jarod wants to know if the whole duct system is electrified." She held the phone out so Jarod could hear.  
  
"Only the grating system leading into the rooms has current flowing through them. They are each routed to a juncture at the main circuit breaker for SL-27." Broots replied looking up from the computer. "It gives off a pretty good shock."  
  
"Did you hear that Jarod?" Parker asked as she brought the phone back to her ear.  
  
"Enough to knock someone out." Jarod concluded as he focused on and continued to read the information that Broots has sent. "I'm going to have to interrupt that circuit flow. The doors are controlled by keypads and by the main controls in Raines' office. If I want to go through there I would have to get into there."  
  
"You're thinking about going directly into Raines' office? Should we just hang a blinking sign that says catch me on you?" Parker said frustrated that she wasn't there to help him.  
  
"Parker. I'll figure out a way. I always do." Jarod was reading the last of what Broots had sent so far. "Has Broots found anything else out about Debbie in the files?"  
  
Parker pulled the phone away. "Broots. I'll be right back." Parker slipped out the door and closed it behind her. "No Jarod. I didn't want to say anything in front of him. He's holding up, but I don't want to push it. He's looked through all the file names, but nothing that says Debbie. So he concluded that every person in Raines' project has been given a project number. We just have to find out which number she is and decrypt the file."  
  
"I wish I knew where they are being held. Having the floor plans is one thing, finding them is another." Jarod looked at the model he had made. There would have to be significant changes.  
  
"I'll concur with your father - be careful. I wouldn't want my prize catch to be damaged in any way." Parker grinned even though deep down she knew she was terrified of Jarod going back to the Centre.  
  
"I love you too." Jarod replied back.  
  
Dr. Berez came down the hall towards Parker. "Miss Parker I need to speak to you immediately."  
  
Jarod heard the voice in the background. "Who's that?" He asked not recognizing the voice.  
  
"Dr. Berez." Parker responded. "She operated on Broots."  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't see that you were on the phone. I need to speak to you about your physical immediately." The doctor looked as if there was something important she needed to say.  
  
"Parker, what's wrong?" Jarod asked concerned that Parker had been checked over by a physician. "Why did you have a physical?"  
  
"As soon as I'm off the phone, I'll come to your office." The doctor acknowledged with a nod and headed back up the hall. "Sorry Jarod. It's nothing. I got a little dizzy and Dr. Goodall decided to run some tests that I didn't even need. I just hadn't had enough to eat that morning."  
  
"The morning I left? You ate enough for two of us. Are you sure you are all right?" Jarod's concern flowed through the phone.  
  
"I'm fine!" Parker said in a huff. "Don't worry about me; don't worry about anyone here. Just concentrate on your mission. If you don't focus, Raines is going to win." Parker spoke as strong as she could. She knew he had to block her and Angel's Hope out if he were to succeed. "I'll take care of here, you do what you have to there."  
  
Jarod was silent for a moment. "You're right. But if something happens Parker and I don't get out."  
  
"I'll protect them with my life." Parker knew that Jarod could lose everything he had dreamed of, if Angel's Hope were to fall.  
  
"Thank you. I may not be in touch again. Tell Broots to keep forwarding everything he can find. I'll have my laptop with me right up to entering the Centre."  
  
"Take care of yourself." Parker said as she headed for Dr. Berez's office. A part of her cringed at the vulnerability she now felt.  
  
"I will. I love you." Jarod spoke softly into the phone conveying his intimate feelings.  
  
"I love you too. Now get your ass into gear." Parker couldn't help but grin.  
  
"Yes my General. Into the trenches I go. And Parker, one last thing."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Get your beautiful ass to the doctor's office." Jarod smiled and hung up.  
  
"Ugh." Is all Parker said as she approached the doctor's office. She knocked on the door and proceeded in. The doctor's office was nicely furnished with maple furniture and two large padded chairs for patients.  
  
"Miss Parker. Please have a seat." Dr. Berez motioned for Parker to one of the chairs. "I have your test results."  
  
Parker sat with a graceful thump and crossed her legs. "OK Dr. Berez, what is it? I don't have all day. More food, more iron. Give me a pill or something and let me be on my way."  
  
Berez smiled. "Well a pill isn't going to fix this and you had better slow down a little. You're pregnant."  
  
Parker's face dropped. "You have got to be kidding. This has got to be a mistake."  
  
"Miss Parker, I had the lab run the test three times. You are definitely pregnant and I would like Dr. Frantz to do a full gynecological check up. You have to be started on vitamins. You." Dr. Berez realized that Parker was just sitting there. "Miss Parker. Are you all right?"  
  
Parker, who had been looking off, digested what she had just been told. "I'm pregnant. I can't be pregnant. Not now."  
  
Dr. Berez, who assumed up to this point that Parker would be happy, changed her position. "I'm sorry. I assumed that this was a wanted pregnancy. We can discuss other options in the case."  
  
Parker interrupted. "No doctor. I'm not looking for other options. It's just that so many things are happening. A baby? Me? I've never pictured myself as the motherly type. And the mission." Her mind was just racing with the ramifications of this news.  
  
"You will have to be careful. But there is no reason that you can't do everything you have been doing. Just don't over extend yourself. Rest. Take your vitamins. Eat regularly."  
  
"I will. Thank you Dr. Berez." Parker got up to leave.  
  
"Miss Parker there is one more thing. As is the case of all medical changes in staff, I will have to notify Dr. Stedman. But I wanted you to know first, so I will be contacting her momentarily.  
  
Parker huffed. "Do we have to?"  
  
Berez nodded. "Sorry, it is our policy. I must follow procedure."  
  
"I'd love to know what the procedure is for this." Parker opened the door and walked into the hallway. She leaned up against the wall and let her head hit with a thump. "Well when you do something Jarod, you do it right. A baby?" Parker shook her head as she headed down the hall.  
  
******************************  
  
Lily found herself standing in the middle of nothing. She looked down and she was in a beautiful ball gown. She felt her hair and it was up in a bun with curled tendrils cascading down. Lily recognized the gown. She had seen it in the musical Phantom of the Opera that she and Becky had gone to see before everything had happened.  
  
Suddenly she felt someone behind her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The figure came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Lily looked slightly sideways and cringed at what she saw.  
  
Standing behind her was Raines dressed in a black tuxedo with a white shirt. His grin made her stomach turn. Music started to fill the air around her. She recognized it as the song Music of the Night from Phantom.  
  
Raines started singing into Lily's ear.  
  
Night time sharpens  
  
Heightens each sensation  
  
Darkness wakes  
  
And stirs imagination  
  
Raines ran his finger down Lily's cheek.  
  
Silently the senses  
  
Abandon their defenses  
  
Helpless to resist the notes I write  
  
For I compose the music of the night  
  
Lily pulled her cheek from Raines, yet couldn't move away. The nightmare was becoming reality. She started singing along with Raines.  
  
Lily: Slowly, gently  
  
Night unfurls its splendor  
  
Raines came up right next to Lily's ear.  
  
Raines: Grasp it, sense it  
  
Tremulous and tender  
  
Hearing is believing  
  
Lily turned her head away from Raines.  
  
Lily: Music is deceiving  
  
Hard as lightning, soft as candlelight  
  
Raines: Dare you trust the music of the night  
  
Lily then saw Mark standing in front of her. Dressed as Raines was in a black tuxedo. He outstretched his hand to Lily and she grabbed it. He pulled her away from Raines. She tenderly ran her hand down his face, pushing a strand of hair from his face. She knew that she didn't want to hurt him.  
  
Lily: Close your eyes for your eyes will only tell the truth  
  
And the truth isn't what you want to see  
  
In the dark it is easy to pretend  
  
That the truth is what it ought to be  
  
Lily looked beyond Mark and standing there was Bobby. He looked handsome in his tuxedo. It looked like it was made to fit him. She left Mark and walked to Bobby. He started to sing.  
  
Bobby: Softly, deftly  
  
Music shall caress you  
  
Hear it, feel it  
  
Secretly possess you  
  
Then Lily wasn't standing in front of Lyle anymore. She was looking at herself standing there with him. She was back to wearing her Centre clothing while the Other was dressed in her beautiful dress. The Other was singing, looking at Lily as Bobby just gazed forward.  
  
Other: Open up your mind  
  
Let your fantasies unwind  
  
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight  
  
The darkness of the music of the night  
  
The Other focused her glare at Lily, singing the words and it's meaning directly to her.  
  
Other: Close your eyes, start a journey to a strange new world  
  
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before  
  
Lily screamed. "No! Get out of my mind! I don't want to forget Angel's Hope."  
  
The Other turned back to Bobby.  
  
Other: Close your eyes and let music set you free  
  
Only then can you belong to me  
  
Floating, falling  
  
Sweet intoxication  
  
Touch me, trust me  
  
Savor each sensation  
  
The Other looked slyly back at Lily. Raines had joined the duo and stood behind the Other. Raines joined in the music.  
  
Let the dream begin  
  
Let your darker side give in  
  
To the power of the music that I write  
  
The power of the music of the night  
  
Lily couldn't stand it any more and attacked the Other, closing her hands around her neck. The Other retaliated by doing the same. Both were trying to choke the life out of the other.  
  
Lily woke up with a start. She was back in her room at the Centre. Klos stood in the corner of the room.  
  
"About time you woke up." Klos pushed off the wall. "One might have thought you decided not to join the land of the living.  
  
Lily lifted herself up on her elbows and then pushed herself up into a sitting position. She then stood up and got into Klos' face. "I decide who lives or dies."  
  
***************************  
  
In War, there are many casualties. Players come and go. But the most dangerous Player Are the ones that change alliances.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own or have any write to the music from Phantom of the Opera. 


	58. Both Sides of the Fence

Chapter 58: Both Sides of the Fence  
  
In War, there are many casualties. Players come and go. But the most dangerous Player Are the ones that change alliances.  
  
*************************  
  
Lily couldn't stand it any more and attacked the Other, closing her hands around her neck. The Other retaliated by doing the same. Both were trying to choke the life out of the other.  
  
Lily woke up with a start. She was back in her room at the Centre. Klos stood in the corner of the room.  
  
"About time you woke up." Klos pushed off the wall. "One might have thought you decided not to join the land of the living.  
  
Lily lifted herself up on her elbows and then pushed herself up into a sitting position. She then stood up and got into Klos' face. "I decide who lives or dies. And you're not worth my effort to choose." Lily turned and strode around the room looking for cameras.  
  
Klos smiled. "Woke up feisty did we?" Klos watched as she surveyed the room. "You are being recorded, but Raines isn't there. It's just you and me this time."  
  
"Oh, how cozy." Lily flippantly replied. "Where is Dr. Raines? I would have thought he would have been here for my grand entrance. I mean he is the Creator and everything, or at least that's what he thinks."  
  
"Raines doesn't know that I took you off the IV early. I wanted some time alone with you." Klos watched for Lily's reaction.  
  
Lily turned to face Klos. She slowly walked up next to the man and put her arms around his neck. Klos could feel the curves of her body up against his. Lily pulled the man closer as if she were going to kiss him, but instead turned her head to whisper in his ear. "You may want me, but you can't have me. I'm meant for the man of my destiny. And if you touch me, he will kill you." Lily pushed off Klos' chest with her hands.  
  
Klos smiled. "We'll see. When Raines has what he wants, then I'll get you."  
  
Lily walked around the room all the while keeping her eyes on Klos. "When Raines gets what he wants, Lyle and I will be at his right hand wielding more power than you'll ever hope to gain. I mean that is what all this is about. Power. Legacies. The future of the Centre." Lily looked coyly at Klos. "And somehow I don't see you more than one of Raines' flunkies."  
  
Klos' ego started getting the better of him and his anger showed through. "You think you're better than me? That I'm beneath you?" Klos strode over to Lily. "Let me remind you who put you here. I figured out who you were when everyone else was running around with their heads up their asses. And when this is over, you will be mine."  
  
"Are you thick? Raines wants heirs. Parker heirs with that little..." Lily gestured with her pinched fingers. "touch of that special anomaly in their blood. That special genetic makeup that makes us special. Will make them undefeatable. His Super Pretenders. Do you think you measure up to that? I don't think so; you're - normal." Lily spun away from Klos with an air of supremacy.  
  
"Maybe I should spill some of that precious blood and show you that you bleed just like I do." Klos went to advance at Lily when he stopped short. Standing behind Lily at the doorway was Raines.  
  
"Why is it all the people I have working around me disappoint me? Klos, stop playing with my Pretender and get back to work." Raines pulled his oxygen tank into the room and Klos could see Sam and Willie standing behind him at the door.  
  
Klos walked over to the desk and picked up a file folder that had been lying there. "Have been." He turned to face Lily and opened the folder. He pulled out a picture and showed it to Lily. "We enhanced the picture from the surveillance cameras and retro'd it. This is what she looked like as a child."  
  
Lily looked at the picture. "Becky."  
  
Raines looked at the child's picture. "Angelo's sister. Another ghost. How did they get out of the Centre alive? They were dead."  
  
Lily smiled. "We Pretended. That is what we do, isn't it?" Lily walked behind Raines and came up behind his ear. "And then of course there were the Guardians."  
  
Raines smiled that devilish grin. "Seems that you are more cooperative today Lily. Care to enlighten me as to your whereabouts the last thirty- eight years and who are the Guardians?"  
  
Lily had come full circle around Raines and stopped. "Does that thing work?" Lily pointed to the computer with the web cam. "Does it have outside access?"  
  
Raines pulled out his phone and hit a button. "This is Raines. I want access to the computer in Lily's room activated." He turned back to Lily. "Try it now."  
  
Lily walked over to the desk and sat down on the chair. She turned on the computer, accessed the Internet, and started typing. Her fingers flew so fast that Klos and Raines couldn't keep up. When she was done she hit enter.  
  
A few moments later all the computers and alarms were ringing at Angel's Hope. Parker came flying out of her Mother's office into Dr. Stedman's. "What is going on?" Parker asked as she rounded Stedman's desk.  
  
"Incoming unauthorized transmission. Someone has hacked into our system." Dr. Stedman was calling the IT department when she stopped dead. Lily's face was on her computer screen.  
  
At the Centre, Lily looked right into the web cam. "Hello Joan, Miss Parker."  
  
Raines could see Parker standing next to a woman he hadn't seen in years. "Dr. Stedman."  
  
"There's been a new dawn at the Centre." Lily smirked at the camera.  
  
Parker walked away from the web cam on Joan's computer and pulled out her cell phone. She hit the speed dial. "Come on, come on. Pick up the phone." After a few moments the other end was answered. "Jarod, we have a problem."  
  
***************************  
  
Becky was playing on the floor with some of the children that they had brought back from NuGenesis, when she sat straight up. Kelly, who had been part of the group on the floor, stood up. "Trouble." Is all she said as she turned back towards Becky.  
  
"Yes, Kelly. Trouble." She got up off the floor. A few moments later the alarms began to ring. "OK kids. I have to go now. Miss Linda will take you to your rooms." Becky motioned for Linda to take control of the group. Becky came up next to the woman. "I have to see Dr. Stedman."  
  
"We'll be fine Becky. I'll call one of the aides to help me." The woman started wrangling the kids up off the floor and towards the back door of the room. Becky headed for the front door. She walked quickly to the elevator and repeatedly hit the button. Finally the doors to the elevator opened and Becky quickly stepped in and pushed the button. She could feel that Joan and Parker were very upset, it had to be about Lily.  
  
The doors opened and she got off on the office level. She ran to Stedman's office door, knocked, and didn't even wait for a reply. Becky walked in to see Parker talking on the phone and Joan looking into her computer monitor. "What's wrong?" She asked as she approached Joan's desk. She came around the desk to see Lily on the screen.  
  
***************************  
  
Jarod had been re-working his SL-27 model so that he could finalize his access route, when his phone rang. He picked it up off the table and flipped it open. "Hello."  
  
Jarod listened as Parker explained to him that Lily was transmitting to Angel's Hope from the Centre. He ran over to the bed where his computer sat and he started typing the access code that Dr. Stedman said he could use to connect to Angel's Hope. After a few moments, he was connected to their mainframe. "Parker, what channel is she coming in on?"  
  
Parker motioned to Joan to come by her. As Joan got up, Becky took her seat. She looked at the drawn face of Lily. She looked like she had been to Hell and back. Becky touched the screen and got a feeling of hate, anger, and pain. She pulled her hand back. "Lily. What are you doing?"  
  
Lily, having seen her hand jerk from the screen, got angry. "Don't be using that mojo with me. I'm doing what I was destined to do."  
  
Parker whispered to Joan. "Jarod needs to know what channel the transmission is coming in on."  
  
Joan walked back around the desk and whispered into Becky's ear. Becky acknowledged Joan's request with a nod of her chin. She started typing on the keyboard quickly.  
  
Lily saw Becky start typing. "What are you doing Becky? You can't block this transmission. Stop that!" Lily yelled. Raines could see that she was getting angry.  
  
"Focus Lily." Raines tried to direct her energy. "She can't counter what you do. You are smarter than she is."  
  
Lily whipped around. "Then you don't know squat. That's one of your Super Children and she has a special gift. She can read minds."  
  
Raines straightened up. "Rebecca. Angelo's sister."  
  
Lily turned around again. "Becky, Dr. Raines. Dr. Raines, Becky."  
  
Becky had used the time Lily had been distracted to open a link to Jarod. Jarod had already attached his web cam to his computer. A square opened up on the screens at the Centre and Angel's Hope.  
  
"Damn!" Lily yelled as she looked up and saw Jarod's face. She tried to break the link.  
  
"Lily. You know you don't want to do that." Jarod kept a very serious face knowing that any sign of concern would be taken as a sign of weakness. "Don't do this."  
  
Lily's face hardened. "How do you know what I want?"  
  
"Because we both want the same thing. Answers. Solutions. An end to all this madness that is our lives."  
  
Lily just sat there, not saying a word. Raines watched Lily's reaction. He bent down so Jarod could see him. "If you want answers, you can always come to the Centre and get them."  
  
Jarod tried to keep his anger in check. "The Centre only blows smokescreens. You never give answers, only lies."  
  
Lily snapped to. "Just give it up Jarod. We got the answers. We're the great future of the Centre. There is nothing for me at Angel's Hope."  
  
Joan cringed at the mention of the facilities' name.  
  
Just then Willie brought Lyle into the room. Lily turned around and smiled. "Lyle."  
  
Parker came around the desk and looked at the monitor. "Lyle's with her?"  
  
Jarod could see that Lyle came up behind Lily. He bent down and they shared a long kiss. Lily released Lyle's lips and turned back to the monitor. Lyle put his chin on Lily's shoulder.  
  
" Meet the future of the Centre. Together we are going to do great things." Lily grinned at the camera.  
  
Lyle could see Parker on the screen. "Hello Sister dear. Glad to see you've not been harmed. But then it looks like you have made your self nice and cozy wherever you are."  
  
"I took a long look at myself and decided that the Centre was full of it. You can have the Parker legacy for all I care. It's over Lyle. There are better things waiting for us." Parker knew that this would constitute her death warrant with Raines.  
  
"How appropriate that you are at someplace called Angel's Hope." Raines moved Lyle out of the way and butted in. "You don't get to decide those things Miss Parker. I want my children home and home you will be. And it will take angels to keep me from succeeding in my goals. "  
  
"Over my dead body." Jarod answered him.  
  
"I am not your child." Parker hissed as she got closer to the camera.  
  
"Such obstinance. I think you will be singing a different tune when you return." Raines put his hands on Lily's shoulders. "And I think I have the key to accomplishing that."  
  
"Buckle up kids. You're in for a bumpy ride." Lily ended the transmission.  
  
***************************  
  
Joan walked away from her desk. Parker looked at Jarod. "That's it Jarod. He's got her. Somehow he has taken her brain and made potato pancakes. We have to stop her. She's going to lead them straight to here."  
  
Jarod shook his head. "No. She wouldn't do that. Raines wouldn't be able to break her. We have learned to go beyond the pain and the torture."  
  
Parker bantered. "That may have worked for you, but she has that lovely chip in her head that changes everything. Did that look like Lily talking? No! It looked like Raines' automatronic flunky."  
  
"I have to believe that there has got to be a way to reverse what he's done. If she can be programmed to listen to him, then she can be programmed back." Jarod ran his hand through his hair. He couldn't lose his sister.  
  
Parker leaned towards the camera knowing that Jarod was in pain. "Jarod. I know this is hard on you, but we don't have a choice. I'm getting Alpha Team on the next plane to Delaware and we're going to storm the Centre before they can storm us."  
  
**************************  
  
Raines banged on the desk. "Why did you end the transmission?"  
  
"Because I could." Is all Lily said as she got up and pulled Lyle away from the desk by the hand. "I gave you what you wanted. Proof that I know where Jarod and Miss Parker are. Now we negotiate."  
  
Raines smiled. "What do you want Lily? What do I have to do to get my Pretender and Miss Parker back?"  
  
Lily now smiled. "First, I want a cheeseburger, salad and a Diet Dr. Pepper. Try to give me that wheat grass crap and I'll kill you." She walked around Lyle, who followed her with his eyes, and peeked out the other side of him. "Two, that magic chair of yours stays put. No more time for Lyle and I on the magic carpet ride."  
  
"And three?" Asked Klos.  
  
Lily came into full view and put herself into Lyle's arms. "You put Lyle and I in charge of retrieval at the Centre. We go get Jarod and the Parker woman, hand Angel's Hope to you on a silver platter, and become your right and left hands. Do we have a deal?"  
  
Raines came up in front of Lily dragging his air tank. "Deal - on one condition."  
  
"And that is?" Lyle asked.  
  
"Tomorrow Lily goes through the maze. IF she succeeds in mastering it, then you can have everything you asked for..." Raines smiled and evil grin. "And much more."  
  
************************  
  
A Traitor is defined as a Player who has betrayed the mission. A Hero is defined by the courage that a Player shows. At times the Game can get murky. Making it hard to tell the Traitors from the Heroes. 


	59. Mazes and Puzzles

Chapter 59: Mazes and Puzzles  
  
A Traitor is defined as a Player who has betrayed the mission. A Hero is defined by the courage that a Player shows. At times the Game can get murky. Making it hard to tell the Traitors from the Heroes.  
  
*************************  
  
Raines banged on the desk. "Why did you end the transmission?"  
  
"Because I could." Is all Lily said as she got up and pulled Lyle away from the desk by the hand. "I gave you what you wanted. Proof that I know where Jarod and Miss Parker are. Now we negotiate."  
  
Raines smiled. "What do you want Lily? What do I have to do to get my Pretender and Miss Parker back?"  
  
Lily now smiled. "First, I want a cheeseburger, salad and a Diet Dr. Pepper. Try to give me that wheat grass crap and I'll kill you." She walked around Lyle, who followed her with his eyes, and peeked out the other side of him. "Two, that magic chair of yours stays put. No more time for Lyle and I on the magic carpet ride."  
  
"And three?" Asked Klos.  
  
Lily came into full view and put herself into Lyle's arms. "You put Lyle and I in charge of retrieval at the Centre. We go get Jarod and the Parker woman, hand Angel's Hope to you on a silver platter, and become your right and left hands. Do we have a deal?"  
  
Raines came up in front of Lily dragging his air tank. "Deal - on one condition."  
  
"And that is?" Lyle asked.  
  
"Tomorrow Lily goes through the maze. IF she succeeds in mastering it, then you can have everything you asked for..." Raines smiled and evil grin. "And much more."  
  
Lily eyed Raines suspiciously. "What maze?"  
  
"A test of your loyalty." Klos answered.  
  
Raines scowled. "A test of your skill. Let me show you." Raines led the way out of the room. Lily and Lyle followed with Klos, Sam, and Willie close behind. Klos watched Lily intently, expecting her to try and escape any minute. But she followed Raines down the corridor to a set of double doors.  
  
Raines opened the door and as the group entered they could see the expanse of an elaborate maze. It looked as if there were a series of rooms with no ceilings, but various ropes, chains and other furniture scattered about. They had walked onto some kind of observation level.  
  
"Welcome to SL-28." Raines watched Lily's reaction, but was surprised with who responded instead.  
  
Lyle surveyed the floor. "Why wasn't I told about this? This wasn't in the plans."  
  
Lily had walked away from the group and was analyzing the rooms.  
  
"There are things that I don't always tell you Lyle. This was my project. A Pretender training and testing ground."  
  
Lily looked sideways at the group. "He didn't tell you Lyle because you were one of the ones who were supposed to go in there." She came up behind Lyle and snuggled in under his arm. "I would surmise that both you and Parker were to be put through the test. What are we? A bunch of lab rats?"  
  
Raines smiled. "Very good Lily. I don't even think Jarod could have figured it out any faster."  
  
Lyle sneered at Raines. "Jarod is the lab rat, not me. What does Lily have to accomplish down there?"  
  
"Tomorrow she will enter the maze. Each room is unique to itself. There will be a variety of weapons scattered around. You can use anything and everything to proceed from room to room." Raines smiled.  
  
Lyle looked suspiciously at Raines. "Why would she need weapons to proceed from room to room?"  
  
Lily pushed herself off Lyle and faced Raines. "Because there are going to be people trying to kill me. Won't there be?"  
  
Raines' grin widened. "I love how your mind works. Yes Lily. There will be opponents. And all you have to do is make it to that room." Raines pointed to the farthest room.  
  
Now Lily looked at Raines suspiciously. "Just make it to the room. What's the catch?"  
  
Klos answered before Raines could. "You have to hit the bull's eye. Shoot a hole right through the middle and your home free." Klos smiled. "And to get to that bulls eye, you're going to have to get through me."  
  
Lily laughed. "Sounds easy enough to me. When do we begin?"  
  
Klos advanced toward Lily. "This isn't a joke little girl. I'm going to do everything in my power to stop you." He stopped within inches of Lily's face.  
  
Lyle was about to charge at him, when Lily turned and stopped him with her hands on his chest. She looked at him with upturned eyes. "No Lyle." Lyle stopped and Lily turned around. Her face showing her anger. "And I will do everything to succeed. So we'll just see who wins."  
  
"That's the attitude Lily. You succeed and I'll give you what you want. The Centre's Sweeper Teams will at your and Lyle's disposal. And the Parker legacy will be within your grasp."  
  
Lily lost interest. "Fine...fine. Legacies and promises. You want an heir? Then for tonight you leave Lyle and I alone. I want time without the cameras and the listening ears. I want a moment in my life when I'm not being watched."  
  
"Impossible." Yelled Klos.  
  
"Agreed." Raines stated as Klos stood in shock.  
  
Klos whipped his head toward Raines. "You can't be actually thinking of leaving them alone..." Klos started, but was stopped by Raines.  
  
"I'm still in charge here Klos. For tonight, she gets what she wants." Raines turned to leave the room and then turned around. "Don't disappoint me Lily. This is your last chance."  
  
"Whatever. Go away - all of you." Lily swooshed her hand in a go away gesture.  
  
"Have a good evening you two." Raines turned and left the room followed by Klos who was scowling at Lily as he left the room.  
  
"Finally - peace. I thought they would never go." Lily put her arms around Lyle's neck and pulled him down. Lyle willingly responded and kissed Lily. He could feel the wanting in her kiss and the warmth of her desire.  
  
Lyle pulled away. "Follow me." Lyle took Lily's hand and they walked out into the corridor. The empty hallway had an eerie silence.  
  
Lily yanked on Lyle's arm and pulled him close to her. The two kissed, Lily hooking her arms under Lyle's and around his back. Their two bodies ending up against the hallway wall with a thump. Lyle holding onto Lily so that he could feel her against him. Lily kissed down Lyle's neck as he lifted his head to allow her travel. His heart beat rapidly as she ran her hands under his shirt. Lyle slowly opened his eyes and stopped her. Lily looked at him puzzled.  
  
"Not here." Lyle pulled Lily into his room. The chair sat in the middle of the room. Lyle pulled Lily towards the chair. "Here." Lyle whispered in her ear.  
  
Lily slyly eyed the chair. "Here? You are kinky, but I guess it's apropos. Let our children's future begin where we did."  
  
Lily kissed Lyle as he sat her in the chair. He continued to kiss her, traveling down her neck. Positioning her arms in the arm restraints. He pulled away from Lily and took out a handkerchief. He pulled it back and forth in front of her.  
  
"You are a bad boy." Lily looked curiously at Lyle as he tied it around her mouth.  
  
Lyle backed off a little positioning his legs in front of Lily's and smiled. "Just remember something for me." Lyle paused as movement caught his eye. "After all these years there was one thing I never got to tell you - I love you." Lily's brow furrowed as she heard the last three words. "Angelo now."  
  
Angelo, who had been hiding under the bed, came around the bottom of the chair. He pushed the locking control mechanism. The restraints locked around Lily's wrists and ankles. Lily's eyes turned from curiosity to anger. She thrashed in the chair as Lyle stepped back away from the chair.  
  
"Though you are very intriguing, I want my Lily back." Lyle went to the computer and started up the programming sequence as Angelo punched in the code he had seen a guard do earlier to shut the door.  
  
The metal bars came up next to Lily's head. She pulled at her arm and leg restraints trying to scream through the cloth.  
  
Lyle finished typing what he wanted and motioned for Angelo to come next to him. He pointed to the enter key and motioned for Angelo to wait. He went and kneeled in front of Lily. "I have spent my whole life living the life that Raines is offering you now. Believe me - it's not something you want. He will use you, fill you full of empty promises, and then discard you. Or worse - make you do things you never thought in your life you would ever do and justify it for the good of the Centre. I can't allow you to be brought down that road. I won't allow it."  
  
Lily thrashed even harder in the chair. "I hate you!" She screamed through the cloth.  
  
Lyle hung his head. "We'll see." He lifted his head and pushed himself up on the arms of the chair. "This is going to hurt you more than her. So sit back and enjoy the magic carpet ride." Lyle motioned to Angelo to start the programming. He sat in front of the chair on the floor with his back to the pictures and watched as the images eventually mesmerized Lily. "Please come back to me Lily."  
  
***************************  
  
Sydney sat at his desk in his office reading a file when his computer beeped. He turned to see that the program he had set up for Lily had commenced. He smiled as he deduced that somehow Lyle had found his way to Lily and her programming system. Lyle's deprogramming had worked.  
  
He was still concerned about Angelo. The Sweeper teams had been all over the building looking for him. They had even checked Sydney's office twice - he was sure thanks to Raines. He was determined to help them. Jacob obviously had and paid the price. Sydney had decided when he found out about Lily, that he would finish what his brother had started. Do what he had to do to save Lily. And though he thought he would never think it - save Lyle. Or was it Bobby now. He knew that either way the man was going to need a tremendous amount of therapy.  
  
And he worried about Jarod. He knew that finding out he had a twin had to have been joyous and heartbreaking. To realize that he had lost forty- three years with someone who should have been like his shadow. Twins have bonds that no one can imagine. He knew first hand. He knew that Jarod would have a rage inside that could either motivate or consume him.  
  
He had kept watch for Jarod since finding out that Lily was on SL-27. It was just a matter of time before he would try and rescue her. She was his family. Finding and keeping his family safe was Jarod's sole purpose. He would chance being captured and having to stay at the Centre, if it meant being with his sister. This was Jarod's greatest strength and his greatest weakness. And Raines knew that.  
  
Sydney took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It would be a long night of keeping vigil over his charges. He picked the file back up and started reading.  
  
*****************************  
  
"You can't do that Parker." Jarod pleaded. "You have to let me try and get in there. I can get to her. I know I can."  
  
Parker shook her head holding her temples. "Jarod. Are you willing to sacrifice the safety of your family? Or the other people that work in this facility? Joan...Becky...the children?"  
  
Becky, who had stayed quiet since the broadcast, interrupted. "She's there Jarod. I felt her."  
  
Parker pushed away from the desk. "Oh great. Now we're using the psychic connection to determine military tactic."  
  
Becky tried to keep her anger in check. "You want facts Miss Parker. Fact - Lily came in on the channel that she and I set up. In case anything ever happened to either of us. An untraceable channel. The Centre won't be able to track it. But the person I saw on that screen didn't act like she knew the line was untraceable. So conclusion must state that there is a part of her somewhere in there stopping this alter ego. Fact - There was a moment there when Jarod was talking that she stopped. She didn't move, she didn't speak. Fact - if our Lily was really gone, then Raines would be standing where Joan is and we would be on our way to...what did you call it?"  
  
Parker exhaled. "Renewal Wing."  
  
"Please give me a little more time Parker. I'll go in tonight. If I can't reach her or can't get her out, then you come and I'll blow the place myself. Please Dr. Stedman let me try." Jarod's chestnut eyes showed the desperateness he was feeling.  
  
Joan came around the desk. "You have till tomorrow Jarod. If you don't get her out, then Parker has my authorization to proceed. I can't risk everyone just to save Lily. She knew that going in. God's speed Jarod." Stedman went around the back of the desk and left the room.  
  
Becky leaned toward the camera. "Save her Jarod - I swear she's in there. And be careful. I'm not going to say bye. I'll say - see you later." Becky kissed her hand and then put it on the camera lens.  
  
Jarod smiled. "See you later." Jarod saw Becky get up from the chair and Parker sat down. "You all right?"  
  
Parker held her forehead. "If you call having a migraine all right."  
  
Jarod's concern showed on his face. "I'm sorry. Please don't be mad. I don't mean to over step your authority, but I have to try. She's my sister."  
  
Parker let out a breath in a huff. "I know. I just hate the circumstances. But then that's what the Centre is famous for - the impossible choices. Who lives, who dies. Promise me you'll be careful. No foolish heroics."  
  
"I swear. Take care of yourself, You don't want to get yourself worn down like before."  
  
Parker thought for a moment about telling Jarod her news, but decided that it would be one more thing on his mind as he entered the Centre. And he didn't need any more distractions. "I'll be fine." After a few moments she decided to add. "I love you."  
  
Jarod smiled. "I love you too. I'll talk to you soon." Jarod broke the transmission with Angel's Hope and turned off his computer. "Hold on Lily. I'm on my way." Jarod took one last look at the model and confirmed what route he would use. He threw some things in a bag and headed out the door.  
  
As the door opened, Larry stood in the doorway. "I just received a call from Dr. Stedman. She asked me to give you this." Larry handed Jarod a ring with the initials AH encrusted on it. "Push the H twice and the A once and we will be able to track you for retrieval."  
  
Jarod took the ring and placed it on his ring finger of his left hand. It was a perfect fit. "Thank you. Will you be dropping me off at my destination?"  
  
"Yes Sir. The car is waiting for you." Larry motioned for Jarod to pass him.  
  
Jarod clicked the light switch off and proceeded to the vehicle. He sat in the back seat running his plan over in his head while looking out at the darkness of the night.  
  
*********************************  
  
The Other found herself in the arboretum of Angel's Hope. The anger permeated off of her.  
  
Lily sat with her back up against a rock. She looked tattered and worn with barely any strength. "So you come here to hide too?" Young Lily walked up next to her. Lily could see not only the anger, but then she felt what was happening. "You're afraid. Something has gone wrong."  
  
"Nothing is wrong! I have won. You can barely hold yourself up. I will prevail! I will be in control!" She held the side of her head.  
  
"Nasty things those little headaches. Seems that I'm not the only one effected by the pain. " Lily said as she tried to push herself up more on the rock.  
  
"The chip is being activated. She's afraid." Little Lily said moving a little in front of Lily. "But what you both don't seem to understand is this. I decide who lives or dies."  
  
************************  
  
The Past can invade the Present. The Past can invade the Future. It's a fight for time now. To see who will prevail in the Game. 


	60. The Game is Afoot

The Past can invade the Present. The Past can invade the Future. It's a fight for time now. To see who will prevail in the Game.  
  
*************************  
  
The Other found herself in the arboretum of Angel's Hope. The anger permeated off of her.  
  
Lily sat with her back up against a rock. She looked tattered and worn with barely any strength. "So you come here to hide too?" Young Lily walked up next to her. Lily could see not only the anger, but then she felt what was happening. "You're afraid. Something has gone wrong."  
  
"Nothing is wrong! I have won. You can barely hold yourself up. I will prevail! I will be in control!" She held the side of her head.  
  
"Nasty things those little headaches. Seems that I'm not the only one effected by the pain." Lily said as she tried to push herself up more on the rock.  
  
"The chip is being activated. She's afraid." Little Lily said moving a little in front of Lily. "But what you both don't seem to understand is this. I decide who lives or dies."  
  
The Other scowled at the child; Lily looked at her with curiosity. "You decide?" Lily asked the small child.  
  
The little girl turned back around toward Lily. "I am the keeper of everything. The memories, the pain, the sorrow, the fear."  
  
Something dawned on Lily. "The long and winding road - leads to you."  
  
The little girl smiled. "You're catching on. Someone told you once to know your enemy. I think you are beginning to understand."  
  
"Damn." The Other screamed. "Why don't we just have a group bonding session and sing Kum Bah Ya? Listen here. I'm in charge. I control everything - including you two. So don't go filling her head full of crap."  
  
The little girl turned around. "Your time is what a computer allows it to be." The little girl walked up to the Other. "This place is controlled by me."  
  
The Other went to slap the little girl, when the little girl caught her hand in mid air. The Other tried to proceed, but couldn't move her arm any further. Panic filled her eyes.  
  
"Like I said, I control everything here." She pushed the Other's arm down.  
  
Lily felt something. "Bobby." She pushed herself so that she was on her hands and knees. She climbed the rock and sat on top. "He's trying to stop you. I can feel it. He's trying to find me."  
  
"To Hell with you..." The Other started when her head turned sharply as if she heard something.  
  
Lily also snapped her head. "No." She whispered.  
  
*************************  
  
Angelo sensed that danger was coming. He got up off the floor where he had been sitting and quickly went to the bathroom to hide. He closed the door quickly.  
  
Lyle bowed his head knowing that he had made a deal with Angelo. If danger were approaching, then Angelo would hide. One of them being in trouble was enough. It was the price he would pay for getting Lily back. Lyle sat on the floor looking at Lily as the door to the room opened.  
  
"Turn that thing off!" Raines yelled as the room filled with Sweepers. Sam started hitting every key on the keyboard until the program stopped.  
  
Willie and Tom grabbed Lyle under his arms and lifted him to his feet. Lyle tried to pull his arms free. "Let go of me."  
  
Raines shook his head. He walked over and pulled Lyle's shirt collar down. Looking for a medallion and not finding one, he let go of the shirt in disgust. "There's no medallion. What happened to his programming? Do I have to do everything myself?"  
  
Lyle smiled. "You don't control me anymore. I won't give you that power ever again."  
  
Raines pushed Lyle out of the way as he went to the chair. "Open this confounded thing." Two of the Sweepers descended upon the side of the chair trying to follow Raines orders. Raines turned back to Lyle. "This was the last straw Lyle. I don't know what that medallion did to my chip, but we're going to find out."  
  
"You don't scare me. You're running out of time and you know it. You've lost Jarod, Parker, me and I'm sure soon Lily. It seems your Red Files are slowly finding freedom and piece of mind. Something you have never allowed us."  
  
"You should be scared boy because you're not going to be around long to enjoy this so called new found freedom. I'm going to dissect you like a frog." Raines was going to elaborate more when Lily jumped from the chair.  
  
"I hate that chair!" She yelled trying to regain her footing. She spun around and spotted Raines and Lyle. She came at the two men full force pushing the one Sweeper out of her way. She got in front of Lyle and with full force punched him in the chin. Lyle went flying across the floor right out of the Sweepers arms. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" Fire raged in her eyes.  
  
One of Raines' assistants came running into the room. "Mr. Raines, Lily's chip readouts are going through the roof! Every reading is showing an abnormality in the rhythms. "  
  
Lily went to advance on Lyle when the Sweepers grabbed her from behind. "Let go of me!" She screamed as she struggled with what had now accumulated to four Sweepers. Two held her back by blocking her advancement with their bodies and two had a hold from the rear. "Let go of me!" She tried flipping herself over the men's shoulders, but the two Sweepers caught her legs in mid flip. "Let go of me!" She continued to scream as she wriggled and turned in their arms, trying to kick them using her full strength to her advantage.  
  
"Give me the printouts." Raines grabbed the sheet from the assistant. He put himself in front of Lily blocking site between the two. "Lily, what happened?"  
  
"That son of a bitch put me in that chair. I'm going to kill him. Let go of me!" Lily tried to break free, but the four men now held firm her legs and arms as she thrashed about. "I'm going to kill you all." The rage in her eyes was unlike anything Raines had seen before. Not even in Kyle or Alex.  
  
He motioned to the assistant who approached Lily with a hypodermic. "Calm her."  
  
"No! I'm going to kill you all. No! Noooooo!" Lily screamed trying to pull herself away as the needle was jammed into her thigh. After a few moments she was unconscious.  
  
"Get her back to her room." Raines spat as he turned to Lyle who at this point had gotten up and was being contained by Willie and Sam who had stayed out of the fight with Lily.  
  
"Why did you do that to her?" Lyle asked angered at seeing Lily treated that way.  
  
"The better question is why did you do that.." Raines motioned toward the chair. "to her?"  
  
Before Raines could finish his thought, Lyle broke free of Willie and ran for the computer. He feverishly typed the password that Sydney had implanted in his programming. The computer started to encrypt the information it had previously displayed.  
  
"Stop him you idiots." Raines yelled as Willie tried to retrieve the information. The monitor went blank. "What have you done Lyle?"  
  
"I tried to free a Phoenix. You may not see it now, but eventually she is going to rise from the ashes. Whether it is by her own power or the accumulation of yours. She is meant to soar, not have her wings clipped by you." Lyle spat.  
  
"You have become a liability Lyle. A liability I no longer want to deal with. You have one last task to complete tomorrow in the maze and then Lily's training will be complete. And your fate will be sealed for good. Take him to the lab. The doctor's know what I want done." Raines wheezed as he looked around the room. He walked over to the bathroom dragging his tank behind him. He started looking around.  
  
Lyle, seeing Raines enter the bathroom, dug his feet into the floor and tried to stop himself from being pulled out the door. "Hey Dad." Lyle yelled.  
  
Raines turned and left the bathroom. "What Lyle?"  
  
"Just tell me one thing. How did you know what I was doing if you promised Lily no cameras?" Lyle had accomplished what he wanted. Raines was distracted from his search.  
  
Raines smiled. "She didn't say anything about monitoring the chips. Get him out of here." Raines took one quick look around and left. The remaining Sweepers followed him.  
  
After a half-hour, the door to the cabinet in the bathroom opened. Angelo untangled himself from the pretzel position he had put himself in to hide under the sink. He looked around the darkened room and brought up the device to jam the cameras. With that and every camera looped along the way, Angelo made his way to the hallway intake grate. He lifted it open and crawled in. He would have to find the route to SL-28 before tomorrow. The maze's outcome would determine whether he would blow SL-27.  
  
******************************  
  
Jarod sat quietly in the car as it drove the route to the Centre. He looked out the window deep in thought. He was concerned that Parker would jump the gun and send personnel into the Centre. He was concerned that Lily had reached a point where even Becky wouldn't be able to reach her. He was concerned that he wouldn't be able to reach her with all the room vents being electrified. And finally there were specs in the plans that Broots and Thomas had found that hadn't made sense. There was another level built beneath SL-27. The specifications looked as if there was a maze of rooms set there. That was the route he was going to see if he could access. There were grates on the plans not electrified there. He would go in there and work his way up to SL-27.  
  
The car drove for another hour before it reached its destination. The passenger in the front seat turned to Jarod. "Sir. We have gone as far as we are allowed. You will have to do the remainder by foot. Dr. Stedman's orders."  
  
"Thank you Larry. Here will be fine." Jarod opened the door and recognized the woods he had originally come through when he first escaped from the Centre. "How apropos." He said as he pulled his gear out of the car behind him.  
  
Larry opened his car door and came up looking over the roof of the car. "Remember your ring Sir." Larry commented as he watched Jarod close the car door. "It will be the only way for us to know you need assistance."  
  
"I will Larry. Thank you." Jarod turned to leave.  
  
"Good luck Jarod. Bring her back to us." Larry said with concern in his voice.  
  
"I plan on doing nothing less. Both of you be careful too. Sweepers could be crawling these roads." Jarod nodded and took off toward the trees. Larry got in the car and it took off down the road. Jarod turned and watched its outline disappear into the distance.  
  
Jarod looked around at a path he knew well. He had taken it to escape the Centre and he had taken it back when he had to get into the Centre. He walked through the trees and after a while came to the clearing. In the middle of the clearing there was the access port to the underworld of the Centre. The machines that pumped the electric life into the Centre.  
  
Jarod lifted the door and heard the creak of the old hinges. He always listened for that creak. It was reassuring to him to hear that sound. It meant that the Centre hadn't found this access to Hell. If they had, the door would have been oiled and cleaned. It was a forgotten entrance into the abyss of his past ...and Lily's present.  
  
Taking a quick look down the shaft, Jarod threw his leg over and found the ladder leg. He brought the other one over and took a few steps down. He grabbed the cover and closed it above him. He crawled down that shaft taking extra precaution not to slip on the moldy rungs. "OK Lily. Let's change the Centre routine. You run and I'll chase." Jarod hit bottom and took off toward SL-28.  
  
****************************  
  
Parker had enough energy to run a marathon. She hated that she had to be left behind. She wanted to be at the Centre. Not rescuing Lily, but paying back Raines for everything he had done to them. She had spent some time earlier in the evening plotting strategies with Joan and Veronica.  
  
Joan had confirmed what Jarod had suspected - they were in the Colorado mountains. The benefit of which was that Angel's Hope was built into the side of a mountain. The other being that any forces sent by the Centre would be spotted before they could hit the airstrip or come up the main road.  
  
The disadvantage being that Lily knew every inch of the facility. It's strengths and weaknesses. Parker had told them that then they would have to scrap all procedures that Lily would know and come up with new ones. Veronica and Joan settled into her office to see what access codes and such would have to be changed. From the mundane to the sophisticated defense system.  
  
Parker had left at that part. She didn't know Angel's Hope well enough to assist them with their work. Joan had suggested that she go and get some rest. But she didn't feel like resting. So now she was heading toward Broots' room.  
  
She knocked and pushed the door that was already half open. She saw Thomas and Broots arguing over something on the computer. "Are you two still at it? Have you even eaten?"  
  
Thomas and Broots looked up. "Miss Parker. You have to come see this. Thomas found a file that lists all of Mr. Raines' bank accounts. Or at least a good portion. He has accounts allover the world."  
  
Parker came around the bed and turned the computer so she could see. "Broots. Can you access these accounts?"  
  
"Well we would have to figure out his online passwords in order to do that. What would a psychotic madman use as a password?" Broots looked at Parker and then at Thomas. Thomas was hard at thought.  
  
"What are you thinking Thomas?" Parker asked curious.  
  
Thomas smiled. "I think I can construct a program that will run all the permeations of various encoded words."  
  
Parker shook her head thinking she was listening to Jarod for a moment. "You've been hanging around Broots too long. Speak English."  
  
"He can create a program that will figure out Mr. Raines' passwords." Broots translated.  
  
"Then do it. I want into those accounts." Parker went to leave, but then stopped. "Have you checked in with Major Charles Thomas?"  
  
"Yes. He brought us some burgers a couple of hours ago. He said as long as I don't wear Mr. Broots down, I could stay and work."  
  
"Good. Just covering all my bases." Parker walked out of the room.  
  
Thomas watched her go and laughed. "She's acting like a mother." He laughed again and started working on the program.  
  
Broots gave Thomas a weird look and then looked at the spot where Parker had been. "Parker, a mother?" Broots shook his head and went back to work with Thomas.  
  
*************************  
  
Angelo sat in the airshaft rocking back and forth, the detonator in his hand. He had seen Lily. Or the personality that was there now. It wasn't his Lily. He looked down at the detonator. He didn't know what to do. It wasn't his Lily, but Angelo had recognized someone. Someone he hadn't seen in a long time. Bobby.  
  
If he blew everything now he would stop Lily, but lose Bobby. If he didn't blow the bombs, would Jarod make it in time to stop her? He rocked faster and faster. What to do......what to do...  
  
Then Angelo turned with a start. He looked around the tunnel for a moment and then came to a stop. "Sister."  
  
Becky was at Angel's Hope holding hands with Kelly. "Hello Angelo. Maybe I can help you...." Becky discussed what was happening with Angelo. In the end, he put the detonator away. "He'll be there soon Angelo. Hold on."  
  
Angelo nodded and then Becky was gone. He crawled through the tunnels until he came to Lily's room. He had to keep several feet from the grate, but he could see her. She was lying in her bed with electrodes coming from her head to machines. Machines reading her brain waves, reading her thoughts. What he wondered was whether they could read the nightmare she was living through. Angelo just sat there and waited. Waited for something to happen. Waited for the Maze to begin.  
  
************************  
  
Lily stood next to the little girl. The television the little girl had been watching before sat in front of them. The little girl took Lily's hand. "It will be time soon. Have you figured out the puzzle yet?"  
  
Lily was staring straight ahead at the pictures of her childhood that flipped on the screen. "I think so."  
  
"Are you ready for what must come?" The little girl asked as she stared ahead as well.  
  
Lily cricked her neck. "Bring it on."  
  
************************  
  
Life is a Game. And the Game is Life. The Players will ready themselves for the challenges Life brings. And the consequences that the Game can give. 


	61. Manipulations

Life is a Game. And the Game is Life. The Players will ready themselves for the challenges Life brings. And the consequences that the Game can give.  
  
*************************  
  
Lily stood next to the little girl. The television the little girl had been watching before sat in front of them. The little girl took Lily's hand. "It will be time soon. Have you figured out the puzzle yet?"  
  
Lily was staring straight ahead at the pictures of her childhood that flipped on the screen. "I think so."  
  
"Are you ready for what must come?" The little girl asked as she stared ahead as well.  
  
Lily cricked her neck. "Bring it on."  
  
**************************  
  
Lily opened her eyes and surveyed the room around her. She was back in the room she had previously been in, but the chair was gone. As she moved her head to the left, she could now see wires attached her to a machine that was monitoring her brainwaves and sinus rhythm. From what she could tell the machine was showing normal signs.  
  
Lily lifted her arms looking for an intravenous line, but didn't see any. She sat up and pulled the leads off her chest and temples. Lily threw her legs over the edge of the bed. She was about to get up when movement caught her eye.  
  
The doors to the room swished open and in walked Klos carrying a tray. "Good morning. About time you woke up."  
  
Lily looked suspiciously at the man. "Nice of Dr. Raines to knock me out. Did I look like I needed a nap?" Lily replied sarcastically. "Are we having another session without Raines present or have you taken a liking to the Hospitality arts?" Lily hopped off the bed.  
  
"I can see that you woke up like your old jovial self." Klos half threw the tray on the desk. "Today is a big day. I thought we could talk."  
  
Lily went over and pushed the food around. She finally grabbed a piece of toast and turned slyly to Klos. "You want to talk? To me. You've been trying to torment me from the moment I stepped into this existence." She took a bite of the toast as she tried to analyze what the man was up to.  
  
"Raines holds you up there with the Gods. Why I'll never know."  
  
"Now there's the flattery I've come to know and love. So I'm a God you say? Then you should be worshipping me." Lily loved playing with Klos.  
  
Klos smiled. "And end up like Mr. Lyle - I don't think so." Lily's demeanor changed at the sound of HIS name. "Oh - I've hit a soft spot. Yes - Mr. Lover boy betrayed you. Or should I say he was loyal to you, just not the you that's here now. That's why I'm here."  
  
Lily eyed Klos suspiciously. "What do you want?"  
  
"I want what you want. Power. Raines is a man living on borrowed time. If today goes as planned, then you will be the heir apparent. And could easily take control of the Centre in a matter of time.with some help."  
  
Lily laughed as she tossed her hair realizing what Klos was hinting at. "You want to be my right hand man? I thought you were loyal to Raines." She walked over to the desk and took another piece of toast from the plate.  
  
Klos followed Lily and came up right behind her. He whispered into her ear. "I'm loyal to whoever is in power. If you follow Raines, then I'll follow Raines. If you chose another path."  
  
Lily smiled as she ate her toast. "Then you would be right there riding my coat tails." Lily turned so that she was face to face with Klos. "I don't need anyone on my coattails. Just slows me down. Lyle was supposed to be at my side, but he has chose otherwise." Lily pushed off Klos' chest.  
  
Klos's smug face turned to anger. "I don't ride anyone's coat tails." He grabbed Lily's arm. "You arrogant bi..."  
  
Lily looked down at Klos' hand, looked up and reacted by kicking Klos in the mid section full force. Klos went flying backwards and fell backwards over the desk. The tray that he had brought went flying and eggs flew in every direction. "Don't ever touch me again." She spat as she pulled herself into a fighting stance.  
  
Klos scrambled to get back on his feet while wiping the remains of Lily's breakfast of him. "I'm going to enjoy hurting you."  
  
Klos was about to charge and Lily was about to defend when they both turned. "Enough!" Screamed Raines from the doorway. "Why can't the two of you have a civil conversation?" Raines was standing with four Sweepers behind him.  
  
Lily smiled. She turned slightly toward Klos so only he could hear her. "He was listening. You're screwed." She turned back toward Raines.  
  
"Get him." Raines hissed.  
  
Two of the four Sweepers converged and grabbed Klos. Klos struggled with the two men who just dragged him past Raines. "Let go of me! What are you doing?" Klos demanded as he was in front of Raines.  
  
"You have become a liability Mr. Klos. The only person in charge of the Centre is me." Raines wheezed as he motioned for the Sweepers to take him away.  
  
Lily put on a false smile. "Thanks for playing. Have a nice day. Bye bye." She waved at Klos as he went through the door. Lily's face went from smiles to stern as she was now left alone with Raines and the other two Sweepers.  
  
"Ah, you're angry with me for sedating you." Raines said as Lily turned and went and sat on her bed. Lily sat quiet, her legs folded under each other with her back up against the wall. "It was for your own good. Better that then the control mechanism in the chip. Besides it's better that you are rested for today."  
  
"That's right - 'the Big Day'. I get to jump through your hoops and you throw me a bone." Lily folded her arms in front of her chest.  
  
Raines moved closer to Lily. "I liked how you handled Klos. It is a good first step towards us having a working relationship outside of these walls. You keep this up and you will be in Lyle's office in no time."  
  
Lily turned her head and closed her eyes at the sound of Lyle's name.  
  
Raines acknowledged Lily's reaction. "Still mad at Lyle. You should be. He betrayed you. Tried to take your power away. Use that anger to fuel you today. It will do you good." Raines smiled.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind." Lily shot back. She could think of hatred for someone else that would fuel her far more and he was standing in front of her.  
  
"They will be coming for you in two hours. I will have a new breakfast brought and have this mess cleaned up. I would suggest you take the time to prepare." Raines headed for the door. He turned back around just as he reached the door. "I'm glad that there was no use for the Sweepers. This change in behavior will serve you better." With that said Raines turned and left the room. The door closed immediately after him.  
  
Lily took a walk around the room. She stopped where the tray lay on the floor. Lily tipped it a little with her foot, bent over and picked it up. She tilted it back and forth in her hands. Suddenly Lily flung the tray so hard that it flew across the room and smashed into the wall. "I hate you!" She screamed. "We were supposed to rule here together!" Lily felt pain on the side of her head and she winced. She threw herself on the bed. She tilted her head to the side trying to ease the pain. "I hate this place."  
  
*************************  
  
Lyle watched through the wall that Raines had exposed for him before he had gone to Lily's room. He had watched Klos and Lily's dance. Then her confrontation with Raines. Lily had such anger and fury. The re-education hadn't worked. She was still running on Raines' programming.  
  
"She has made her choice Lyle. Lily's one of the team. Too bad you have chosen otherwise." Raines had come back into Lyle's room after he left Lily's.  
  
"Why are you here old man?" Lyle asked not moving from his spot.  
  
Raines came up behind Lyle. "I would have preferred that my children procreated in the normal manner. You and Bridgette created a perfect heir."  
  
Lyle winced at the memory of his affair with his stepmother and allowing the outcome of that affair to be given to Raines. It seemed like a lifetime ago. "How is he?"  
  
Raines' face narrowed. "You have never asked about him before." Raines grabbed Lyle's arm and pulled him around. "Why now? What is interrupting my chip?" Raines was getting increasingly angrier. "Answer me Lyle."  
  
Lyle pulled free of Raines. "I would prefer Bobby. Lyle is gone."  
  
Raines backed up as if he had the wind knocked out of him. "Lyle will never be gone. He is who you are." Raines paused for a moment. "I want your DNA."  
  
Lyle looked at Raines with disbelief. "You want my what? Are you joking? Or have you just finally gone off the deep end?"  
  
Raines looked ahead at Lily. "If I don't get what I want, then I'm going to dispose of her."  
  
Now it was Lyle's turn to grab Raines. "You wouldn't. You need her." But he could see in Raines' expression that he wasn't bluffing.  
  
"I need heirs. Parker heirs. And if she doesn't produce Parker heirs, then she is useless to me." He looked past Lyle at Lily. "We have already determined that the watering down of the gene pool doesn't result in true Pretenders."  
  
"How did you determine that?" Lyle asked fearing that Raines had done something to his son.  
  
Raines turned and looked at Lyle. "There have been multiple children created with Red File DNA. Others with manipulated genes like Jarod, Lily, Parker and you. Not to mention Angelo and his newly found sister, Rebecca."  
  
Lyle felt a ball form in the pit of his stomach. He had turned his back on what they were doing at NuGenesis. He knew about Gemini and knew that they were trying to crack Jarod's genetics. They had considered his manipulation the most successful of all the experiments. What he hadn't known at the time was that he was one of those experiments and now it made him ill. "If you've done anything to my son." Lyle looked as if he could kill.  
  
"Your son is one of the few salvageable pieces of this whole project. And let's say that Mr. Broots' contribution may prove worthy." Raines was about to continue when Lyle cut him off.  
  
Lyle realized what Raines was saying. "You have Debbie Broots? Mr. Broots would never let you have his daughter." He also realized the ramifications. "Parker is going to kill you if you harm Debbie Broots. She has grown quite attached. Is the child here?"  
  
Raines scowled. "Mr. Broots in no longer a problem. I will handle Miss Parker when the time comes. And as for her whereabouts, you'll never know."  
  
Lyle realized what Raines had said. "You have eliminated Mr. Broots?"  
  
"He was shot in the process and I wouldn't consider him a threat at the moment even if they." Raines cut himself off.  
  
Lyle caught Raines' hesitation. "You don't have him anymore. Lily's group has him. That means he's with Parker and you are so the dead man." He thought about something Raines said earlier. "Angelo has a sister?" Then he thought for a moment. "A twin. Where has she been all these years?"  
  
Raines looked again at Lily. "I would assume this Angel's Hope that Lily was talking about. Seems my children were somehow filtered out of the Centre. And Jarod took the others from NuGenesis."  
  
Lyle smiled. "Jarod has always been one step in front of you."  
  
Raines scowled. "And you. The best training and he still made a fool of you."  
  
Lyle continued to smile. "And now I wonder if that was fate or a subconscious allowance."  
  
"Either way it doesn't matter anymore Lyle. I want an answer. Give me what I want or Lily will never make it out of that maze alive."  
  
Lyle turned and looked at her again. She was rocking back and forth on the bed. Was she in there? Would conceding to Raines be worth her life if that life was used to destroy the existence she had built for herself? The whole situation was a paradox. But he knew one thing. After he had come out of that chair his feelings were changed. He didn't have the total urge to kill or see others killed.  
  
He had a memory and grabbed the side of his head in pain. He remembered being in the van with Lily. He had moved closer to Lily. He put his arm around her shoulders and could feel she was trembling. "I heard the men talking about the Centre. We'll be OK. We have each other. Nothing will separate us."  
  
The memory was over in a flash and Lyle looked more intently at Lily. "I'll do what you asked."  
  
"Good." Raines said. "The Game will begin very soon and you are an intricate part of it." Raines left the room dragging his squeaking tank behind him.  
  
Lyle took a huge breath in and let it out. He felt like he had just made a deal with the devil.  
  
******************************  
  
Jarod took the map out of his coat pocket. He laid it out on one of the giant pipes that ran under the Centre. If he followed this pipe, it would lead him to the hallways that worked their way all around and above SL-28. It intrigued him that each of the hallways could potentially open into a room on SL-28. "Why would you put exit routes from the rooms Mr. Raines?"  
  
Jarod folded the map back up and headed for whatever laid ahead of him.  
  
******************************  
  
Lyle was pacing the floor. Lily had said that they were running out of time. That her people were suppose to be coming. So where the hell were they? Lyle turned as his door opened. Sam and Willie quickly came into the room and grabbed him.  
  
"Let go of me you idiots!" Lyle screamed.  
  
"Mr. Raines says that you have a Game to play. We're here to make sure you play it." Sam and Willie dragged Lyle from the room.  
  
*****************************  
  
Lily looked up as the doors to her room swooshed open. Two Sweepers were standing on the other side. "Time to go."  
  
Lily got off the bed and headed for the door. The one Sweeper took the lead, while the other took the rear. Lily followed them to an elevator and got on. She just kept looking forward waiting for the doors to open. In a few minutes the doors opened. Lily walked out first into a gray hallway. There was a door directly in front of her. The one Sweeper went around her and opened the door. The other shoved Lily into the room. Lily fell into the room and immediately went into a roll. She stopped herself and surveyed the room she was in.  
  
Raines' voice came over the loudspeaker. "First rule Lily - there are no rules. This is kill or be killed."  
  
Lily cricked her neck and readied herself for the fight.  
  
************************  
  
Actions speak louder than words. And words can be truthful, but hurt. So which is more important? The actions or the words? 


	62. Rules Are Meant To Be Broken

To Everyone reading Angel's Hope, I hope you have had a wonderful Holiday season and enjoy the happiest New Year! Colleen *********************************************  
  
Actions speak louder than words. And words can be truthful, but hurt. So which is more important? The actions or the words?  
  
*************************  
  
Lily looked up as the doors to her room swooshed open. Two Sweepers were standing on the other side. "Time to go."  
  
Lily got off the bed and headed for the door. The one Sweeper took the lead, while the other took the rear. Lily followed them to an elevator and got on. She just kept looking forward waiting for the doors to open. In a few minutes the doors opened. Lily walked out first into a gray hallway. There was a door directly in front of her. The one Sweeper went around her and opened the door. The other shoved Lily into the room. Lily fell into the room and immediately went into a roll. She stopped herself and surveyed the room she was in.  
  
Raines' voice came over the loudspeaker. "First rule Lily - there are no rules. This is kill or be killed."  
  
Lily cricked her neck and readied herself for the fight. The room she was in was eight feet by ten feet. There was a table in the middle and no other furniture was present. The walls were gray and had nothing on them but an air vent, which she assumed, was electrified like the one in her room. A retractable ceiling rolled over a portion of the room. An outline of a square was visible in the ceiling. There were no visible weapons and no one else in the room. There was another door opposite the one she came in.  
  
Lily crept at floor level to the edge of the room so that she had an advantage level to the doors. Suddenly a door dropped open in the ceiling and a man dressed in dark clothing came falling through. He landed in a squat position and surveyed the room. The man spotted Lily and stood to advance.  
  
Instinct took over and Lily pushed herself out of her crouched position connecting with the man in his abdomen. The two went spilling onto the floor with Lily flipping off the man and rolling to a stop. She immediately brought herself up to a fighting stance as the opponent recovered from having the wind knocked out of him. He unsteadily got to his feet, only to have Lily high kick the man under his chin.  
  
The man went flying backwards up and over the table. Lily approached the man who, as Lily approached, used his foot and hit Lily's kneecap sending her legs buckling. She hit the floor hard as the opponent got up. He grabbed her and pulled her up so her legs dangled.  
  
Lily head butted the man, which sent him stumbling backwards and her falling to the floor with a thump. As she stood, the man attacked her pushing her against the table. Lily pulled herself into a small ball and with both feet now on the man's chest, pushed upward. The man flew through the air and his hand hit the grate. "AHHHHHHHHHH." The man screamed as electricity flowed through him and he fell unconscious to the floor.  
  
"So it was electrified. I'll have to be careful." Lily said as she surveyed the room. She had defeated the opponent, but the door still wasn't opened. Lily looked around the room and spotted the table. She flipped it over and attached to the bottom was a box with a large, round, red button. Lily hit it and pushed herself against the wall next to the door.  
  
Cautiously Lily peeked her head into the doorway looking first to the left and then to the right. "Good. One for the mouse, zero for the cat." Lily stepped into the next room.  
  
**************************  
  
Parker walked into her mother's office and stopped short as she saw Ethan sitting at the desk. "Good morning Ethan." She said as she approached the desk. As she got closer, she saw that he was distressed. "What's wrong?"  
  
"The voices. Something's going to happen and soon. Can't you hear them?" Ethan looked at Parker.  
  
Parker had been worrying about Jarod and Lily so much that she hadn't allowed herself to hear them. She stood for a moment and then it was like she was bombarded all at once. "Too many voices." She said trying to filter them out.  
  
"Listen for Mother's voice. She's distressed. Something is happening with Lyle. With Lily. Or both." Ethan himself had been having problems since the early morning trying to decipher them all.  
  
"I can barely hear her. There are too many voices. I wish I could manage them like you can." She subconsciously started playing with her mother's ring. Then she heard her.faintly. Like she was crying. "Is she crying?" Parker asked.  
  
Ethan positively acknowledged her. "I could hear her stronger in here. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it. Jarod had better hurry."  
  
"Why must Jarod hurry?" Came a voice from beside the two. Parker turned to see Joan Stedman standing in the doorway between her office and Parker's. "Do you two know something?"  
  
"Ethan and I are hearing Mother's voice and she sounds sad. And the other voices are frenzied. Ethan thinks something is about to happen." Parker tried to explain.  
  
"Lily. She's in trouble isn't she?" Joan had concern in her voice.  
  
Ethan got up from behind the desk. "I would assume it has something to do with Lily or Lyle."  
  
"Or Jarod." Parker asked more concerned now that Jarod had gone back to the Centre.  
  
"Come into my office. I'll try and contact our people in the Centre to see if they know anything." Ethan and Parker followed into her office.  
  
***************************  
  
Broots had just finished his breakfast when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in." He yelled.  
  
The door opened with Thomas peeking in. Broots motioned for him to come in and as he came through the door, Major Charles followed. Broots stiffened as he saw Jarod's father. "Hello Mr. Broots. How are you today?" Thomas asked as he came and sat on Broots' bed.  
  
"I'm..I'm fine Thomas. Good morning Major Charles." Broots felt like he could crawl under a rock.  
  
"Good morning Mr. Broots. Thomas tells me the two of you have been able to access the camera system on SL-27. I was wondering if you would be able to try again. I would like to see if we could find Lily."  
  
Broots fidgeted in the bed. "We can try. The last time we accessed through a subroutine. I'm not sure if we were detected or if we can establish a link again."  
  
Thomas pulled the computer over on the rolling table. "Can I try Mr. Broots?" He was excited about the prospect of hacking into the Centre again.  
  
"Sure. Go ahead Thomas." Then Broots thought that maybe Major Charles wouldn't want him hacking into systems. "Only if it is all right with you Major Charles. I wouldn't want to allow Thomas to do anything that.you know may be considered.. I mean."  
  
Major Charles rescued the man. "It's all right Mr. Broots. It's for a good cause." Charles looked over in amazement as Thomas maneuvered his way into the Centre.  
  
****************************  
  
Jarod was walking up one of the service hallways on SL-28 when he heard the lockdown of the doors. He went to one of the doors and tried to open it. As he suspected, the floor had been secured. From the plans, he knew that it was a maze that had various access hallways and upper passageways to drop from above. Primarily the rooms were without ceilings.  
  
The schematics showed that there were various buttons positioned in each room that allowed you to move from room to room. Some rooms led to dead ends, others farther into the maze. He had analyzed how to maneuver the rooms so that if he got stuck there, he could escape. But the securing of the locks had to mean one thing - the maze was in use. The question was who was in it? Lily. Lyle. Debbie.  
  
Jarod continued down the hallway, creeping as silently as he could. Checking the various doors along the way. He found several ladder rings in the wall. He assumed this is how you accessed the above corridors. As he was making a turn, he spotted a door that was on the opposite side of the hallway than the others. He stepped up to the door and was trying to open it when he heard voices. Jarod quickly turned the knob and pushed the door open. He quickly stepped inside and hid behind the door leaving it a crack open.  
  
Two men dressed in black with black hoods came around the corner. "She's already made it through the first room. Fried Johnson. Kicked him up against one of the electrified grates."  
  
The other man looked concerned. "Did she kill him?"  
  
"Nah. He has some burns, but they are taking him to the medical wing for treatment. We just have to be careful - she's playing to win." The other man motioned to the ladder. "This is my stop. Good luck. Mr. Raines said there was a bonus in it if we could defeat her."  
  
"Yeah, Good luck." The man said nervously. He knew that he should have declined the assignment when it was handed to him. But then no one ever said no to Mr. Raines. He watched the other man disappear up into the hole and then started onto his destination.  
  
Jarod peeked into the hallway. "Okay - it's Lily in there." Jarod continued on the path he was originally on. If Lily was in the maze, then Raines was probably watching her from the observation room. That meant his control room should be clear. He hoped. He pulled out a CD from his pocket. This was the key to killing Raines' mind trips.  
  
The door that led to SL-27 was just ahead of him. He opened the door slowly and looked up the stairwell. All clear. Jarod quickly climbed the steps to the next level, pushing himself against the wall as he approached the door. He opened it slowly. He looked up and down the hallway seeing that everything was all clear.  
  
The doors to all the rooms were open. He peeked into them as he passed them going to Raines' office. As he approached the office, the door started to open. Jarod ducked into one of the rooms pushing himself against the wall. Two technicians came bustling past the doorway.  
  
"Mr. Raines is having a fit because we left the information in the office." The one girl was saying as she was pulling the other down the hall. In a few minutes they were gone.  
  
Jarod slowly came back out into the hallway and made it to Raines' office door. He pulled his gun out just in case someone was still inside. He pushed the door open slowly and surveyed the room. The main office was empty. Jarod continued into the room and spotted the control room to his left. Jarod proceeded into the room and sat down at the computer placing his gun next to him. He found the D drive and inserted his CD. A special virus just for Raines. He started typing into the computer and in a little while found the computers .exe files. Jarod downloaded his virus into the system. "You're not going to hurt anyone, anymore Mr. Raines."  
  
When he was finished, a monitor caught his eye. He retrieved his CD, grabbed his gun, and rolled the chair so he could see the screen fully. There was an outline of the maze with various blips on it. One blip was red. The others blue. He assumed the red must be Lily. She was already into the third room. Jarod looked at how far she was from the end and calculated that it would be the best place to try and retrieve her. He tapped the small canister of spray anesthetic in his pocket. Lily was coming with him whether she wanted to or not.  
  
The computer acknowledged that Jarod's program was in place. Everything was in place now. He rummaged through some of the files, but found nothing that would be of any use to him. Lily and Lyle's files must be with Raines.  
  
He got up out of the seat and headed for the door. He looked back at the computer hoping that his virus would destroy all of Raines' research. And possibly stop him once and for all. He went to the main door of the office and opened it slowly. He looked both ways and proceeded down the hall. He headed back into the stairwell leading to SL-28. It was time to get his sister.  
  
*************************  
  
Cox came into the control room for the Maze. He stood silently as he waited for Raines to acknowledge his presence. Raines was intently watching the playing field as Cox spotted Lily in one of the rooms. She was swinging on a chain and then proceeded to wrap it around one of two opponents. Then she swung that one into the second, sending him flying across the room.  
  
"Her performance has been exceptional Mr. Cox. I'm glad you could make it for the festivities." Raines smiled as Lily used the chain to choke the men into unconsciousness.  
  
"I thought the idea of the Maze was for her to kill the other person. Those men seem quite alive, choked, but alive." Cox commented as Lily found the next button to release the door.  
  
Raines' smile faded a little. "She just hasn't been confronted by a skilled enough opponent. She has easily passed by everyone that has been thrown at her."  
  
Cox looked around the room. "Where is Mr. Klos? I would have thought he would have had a front row seat to this little examination."  
  
Raines' face turned to a complete scowl. "Mr. Klos has overstepped his boundaries one too many times." But then Raines smiled. "But he definitely has a front row seat. He's her final opponent."  
  
Cox shook his head in acknowledgement. "That is definantely a way to handle a mess."  
  
Raines turned to Cox. "Have you brought my new projects?"  
  
Cox took a seat next to Raines. "Ms. Broots is being monitored in room 8 and the boy is in room 9. Ms. Broots is currently being sedated and monitored as directed. The boy has been cooperative and is exploring his room. A strange little boy. Always seems like he is in a world of his own."  
  
"No sign that anyone followed you here?" Raines asked as he went back to observing Lily. She had started the next room.  
  
"No. We were clear from the safe house to here. Jarod was no where to be seen." Cox leaned forward as he watched Lily climb a rope to see if she could go up and over the wall separating her from the next room. A man entered the room and grabbed her legs. He pulled her legs until Lily lost her grip and fell with a thud to the floor.  
  
"Don't feel too at ease. Jarod has never been one to let something go. The report from NuGenesis states that he had a team with him. Jarod is not acting alone. I believe now he has Angelo's sister and a man named Mark helping him. There was no way he could have gotten all those children out alone. You said he didn't have much time after you left him and there were no bodies found on the second floor."  
  
"He took all of the subjects?" Cox asked. "That's impossible. There was no way he could have..."  
  
"But he did!" Raines yelled as he snapped his head towards Cox. "All of my specimens are gone." He looked back at Lily. "That is why I need her more than ever. She is the only person here who knows where they are. And Miss Parker."  
  
"And Jarod." Cox added.  
  
Raines shook his head. "Something tells me that Jarod is not with Miss Parker. Jarod accessed a transmission Lily initiated to her old haunting ground. A place called Angel's Hope. It means that he wasn't with Parker when she received the signal. He hacked into it. That's makes everything going on here even that more important. I want Angel's Hope and I want it now."  
  
"Take control of Angel's Hope; take control of Miss Parker. Take control of Miss Parker, get an upper hand on Jarod. Do I have the basic concept correct?" Cox tilted his head waiting for confirmation.  
  
"Partially. Gain Angel's Hope, gain knowledge as to where this ghost has been for all these years. And what she has been doing. Something tells me she hasn't been weaving baskets all these years. She said it herself - she already has power. I want that power. I want the people who work for her to work for me. One way or another."  
  
Cox looked back at the Maze. "Then you better hope that Mr. Klos isn't as angry as I believe he would be. Because then Lily may not make it to tell you anything."  
  
"We'll see Mr. Cox. We'll see." Raines leaned forwards as Lily entered the next to last room.  
  
***************************  
  
Lily walked into the next room. Her ribs were killing her from her fall from the rope. She was bruised and she could feel swelling around her left shoulder. One of the attackers had whacked her in the shoulder with a broken piece of chair. As she walked into the room she could see that this room was bigger than the others were. She stood on a long colored rectangle. The door closed behind her. The rest of the floor was checkered black and white. On the forward left corner were a colored square and the exit door. Attached to the walls were various weapons. A gun, various knives, and long sticks were strategically placed. Then, Lily saw that various puzzles were written on the wall. Lily grabbed a piece of wood that she had kept as a club from one of the other rooms. She threw it onto the squares. Sparks flew everywhere.  
  
Lily took a big breath. "Oh boy."  
  
**************************  
  
Mazes and Puzzles can be fun entertainment. But Life can also be full of Mazes and Puzzles. Players who can master them succeed in their lives. Others never finish the Game. 


	63. The Solution Isn’t Always Found

Chapter 63: The Solution Isn't Always Found  
  
Mazes and Puzzles can be fun entertainment. But Life can also be full of Mazes and Puzzles. Players who can master them succeed in their lives. Others never finish the Game.  
  
*************************  
  
Lily walked into the next room. Her ribs were killing her from her fall from the rope. She was bruised and she could feel swelling around her left shoulder. One of the attackers had whacked her in the shoulder with a broken piece of chair. As she walked into the room she could see that this room was bigger than the others were. She stood on a long colored rectangle. The door closed behind her. The rest of the floor was checkered black and white. On the forward left corner were a colored square and the exit door. Attached to the walls were various weapons. A gun, various knives, and long sticks were strategically placed. Then, Lily saw that various puzzles were written on the wall. Lily grabbed a piece of wood that she had kept as a club from one of the other rooms. She threw it onto the squares. Sparks flew everywhere.  
  
Lily took a big breath. "Oh boy." Lily tried to calculate how she would get across the floor. She knew that the second and third squares of the second row were electrified. She started to look at the puzzles on the walls.  
  
The first one was "Three blind mice. See how they run. But do mice run when they are attacked?" The second was "Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, and the cow jumped over the moon." The third was "Any reward worth taking is worth the price of a dime."  
  
Lily looked at the words. She was tired and in no mood for children's nursery rhymes. But then she noticed a pattern. Each riddle had to do with numbers. Lily looked at the squares on the floor. There were ten squares across and five rows back.  
  
"Mice don't run when they are attacked, they.." Lily looked at the wall. "They hop." Lily counted three squares from the end and then another three until she reached the squares in front of her. She took a deep breath waiting to be shocked as she stepped onto the square. Nothing happened. She hopped to the next three and that brought her next to the wall. She could now reach to the left and grab one of the bow staffs. She turned to face the room again.  
  
She was now on the second row, but needed to get to the other side if she were to get the knives or the gun. She looked at the squares again trying to figure out the second rhyme. She bent down to get a closer look at the squares. The she spotted them. Imbedded in the tile were little lit moons. "Jump over the moon." Lily used the stick to jump from the square she was on over the third row to the fourth. She could now reach the second stick, which she pulled off the wall.  
  
Lily read the last puzzle out loud. "Any reward worth taking is worth the price of a dime." The reward had to be the weapons, but where was she supposed to get the dime. Lily thought a dime could consist of two nickels or ten pennies. Ten pennies could be referred to as ten cents. There were ten steps between herself and the other wall. But that didn't make any sense either. She banged the poles on the floor in frustration.  
  
But the sound that echoed in the room from the two poles was different. Lily pulled the one pole up so she could see the ends. Implanted in the end of the pole was a dime. She used her nail to pry the coin from it's resting spot and examined it. Then she pulled the end up of the other pole and realized that the tips were covered in plastic. Lily's mind was racing. "A dime is made up of common cents. Common sense." Lily threw the dime onto the square in the fifth row caddy corner to her. It sparked as the electricity caused the dime to jump around like a Mexican Jumping Bean. Lily took the pole with the plastic tip and carefully moved the dime to the next square. No reaction - the square was safe. Lily continued to move along using the same method, jumping the electrified squares. Finally she made it to the other side and onto the full colored square.  
  
Carefully, Lily took the two poles and grabbed the gun from its resting- place. She grabbed the firearm and stuck it into the waistband of her pants. She used the dime again to determine that the third row square in front of the knife was clear. Using one of the staffs she jumped to the square, grabbed the knife, and jumped back. Lily thought for a moment and then ripped the bottom of her shirt off. She tied the piece of cloth around her leg and deposited the knife there for quick retrieval.  
  
As she turned, the door opened next to her. "So you are still watching Dr. Raines. Good." Is all she said as she entered the last room twirling the one stick around in her hand.  
  
***************************  
  
Angelo crept along the maintenance shaft between SL-27 and SL-28. He had gotten a vision of Jarod looking at plans. Plans he now knew were for the floors he was now between. He could hear people running around below him. Lily was in the maze. He was worried for her. Worried that she would lose herself in the Game. But he deducted that the people coming up against her should be more worried.  
  
Finally he came to the spot he had seen in the vision. He knew he had to stay here and wait. Angelo sat himself down with his back to the wall. Out of his pocket he took Lily's Angel's Hope medallion. He twisted it in is fingers and put it back in his pocket. After shuffling in his other pocket, Angelo pulled a box of Cracker Jacks out and started to munch.  
  
***************************  
  
Major Charles watched as Thomas maneuvered through all the systems and blocks set up by the Centre programmers. He wondered if this is what it would have been like to watch Jarod as a child. He use to love watching Jarod and Kyle play before the Centre took them. Now he felt a pang of pain for Thomas too. He had missed his childhood as well. Now this boy stood in front of him accomplishing things that would have taken him hours to accomplish.  
  
"All right." Thomas typed a little more. "I have us into the surveillance system. Mr. Broots, where do I need to go from here?"  
  
Broots guided Thomas to the path that he thought SL-27/28 would be on. "Thomas, avoid that path. It's a security protocol. Go there." Broots pointed to the screen. The computer screen filled with a picture of an empty room. "We're in." Broots stated as his heart raced in anticipation of finding Debbie.  
  
Major Charles came closer to look at the monitor. "Mr. Broots, can we search room to room?"  
  
"We'll have to do this carefully so we don't trip the security alarms. I'm not sure we can go room to room. We may end up jumping around, but as long as we keep track of what paths we're taking, we should be able to find all the rooms."  
  
"Thank you Mr. Broots. I know you want to find your daughter as much as I want to find mine." Major Charles reassuringly put his hand on Broots' shoulder. Broots' tension eased a little knowing that Major Charles knew he was going through the same thing he was even though he had worked at the Centre.  
  
"Dad, look." Charles and Broots looked at the screen. They saw someone walking into a room twirling a bow staff. The woman looked like she had been through a major fight. Her clothes were ripped and she had bruises everywhere.  
  
"Lily." Broots said as Major Charles moved to get a better look at the screen.  
  
"Are you sure that's Lily?" Charles asked trying to get a good look at her face.  
  
"That's the person Miss Parker said was Jarod's sister the last time we hacked into the Centre's systems. She looks like hell." Broots looked at Major Charles to find the man looking sadly at the screen. The he realized what he had said and that it was probably the first time Major Charles had ever seen Lily. "I'm sorry. That was very stupid of me to say."  
  
Charles touched the screen. "What have they been doing to her? She looks like they've been beating her." Charles gasped as he then saw what they had been doing. Klos approached Lily as she continued to swing the staff.  
  
"Get him Lily." Thomas said as Broots and Charles continued to watch.  
  
***************************  
  
Lily walked into the room swinging the one staff. She was ready to swing at anything in her way. She surveyed the room - it was three times the size of the other rooms. Scattered around the rooms were movable staircases three steps high, ropes and chains hanging all over. At the far end of the room was a firing range target shaped like a man with a small bullseye at heart level. Her prize was within her reach. Then Lily spotted movement at the end of the room.  
  
Klos appeared through the door near the bullseye carrying a bow staff. He spotted Lily and started advancing across the room quickly. "Like I said before - you'll be mine." He began to twirl the stick offensively.  
  
Lily advanced as well. "Do you have a psychiatric medical condition? A problem with long term memory? I'm not yours and never will be!" The two met and started to fight.  
  
"Raines isn't here to protect you this time. It's just you and me. The way it should have always been. And I'm set to win." Klos broke the advance and started to circle Lily.  
  
"You definitely have an obsession problem." Lily swung the staff by its end and hit Klos in his ribs. "And as for winning - so am I!" She brought the staff around again, but Klos countered this time. Lily spun around trying to take Klos out at the legs. He jumped.  
  
"I will not lose my position at the Centre because of you." Klos hissed as he engaged Lily again, who had been crouching and held the staff up to protect herself.  
  
Lily pushed forward with her staff, moving it crisscross as she went. "Seems that if you're here standing between that bullseye and me, then you've already been tossed out with the dishwater." Lily ran up a set of steps, spun on her heels, and kicked Klos in the chest as he pursued her.  
  
Klos went flying backwards as Lily jumped down and tried to ram him with the end of the staff. Klos grabbed the end and shoved it back. Lily flew backwards onto her back on the floor hitting the steps she had just come off of. Klos got up and was charging with the stick poised like a spear.  
  
Lily pulled the gun out from behind her and Klos stopped in his tracks. "Stop right there." Lily was holding the gun straight at Klos' heart.  
  
Klos smiled. "Let me tell you a little secret. That gun you have there has one bullet. The bullet that needs to be shot through that bulls eye for you to win. You waste it on me and you lose."  
  
Lily sneered as Klos approached her with victory in his eyes. He brought the pole up to swing, when Lily flipped the gun in her hand, pushed up, and swung. The handle of the gun struck Klos on the left cheek. His head snapped sharply to the right and he dropped the staff. He staggered backwards.  
  
Lily stood up fully and tucked the gun into the back of her pants. She stepped on the end of the stick and tipped it up to grab it.  
  
"Bitch!" Klos screamed as soon as he could move his jaw.  
  
"You better believe it..." Lily said as she looked past Klos to see if she could fire at the bull's eye yet. She decided she needed to be closer. Lily took off towards the end of the room. Klos followed. Half way across the room, Lily swung the staff as Klos jumped over it from another set of steps. She brought it around and hit him across the chest.  
  
Klos grabbed the staff so he and Lily were face to face. Lily could feel his heavy breath on her cheek and it repulsed her.  
  
Lily smiled. "Tired already? We've just begun to tango." She pushed him back and ran for one of the ropes. She swung till she reached and switched to another rope. Lily flipped the knife out of the side of her pants and cut the first rope. It fell to the floor as Klos was trying to grab it. She reholstered it, moved on to two more ropes, and then came to a chain, which had an end hanging down. She grabbed onto the chain, wrapped her leg around and as Klos came at the end she whipped it with her leg.  
  
The chain hit Klos in the face and sent blood gushing out of his nose. "Ahhhhhhhhhh." He screamed in pain grabbing his nose, but then grabbed a hold of the chain and shook it.  
  
Lily was holding on tightly as the chain shook back and forth. Thinking for a moment, Lily decided to let go and slide down the chain like a fireman's pole. She kicked Klos in the chest as her feet came level with him. She then hit the floor and rolled. Klos went flying backwards.  
  
"I'm going to kill you!" Klos screamed as he realized that Lily had gotten up and was once again sprinting for the bull's-eye. He got up and resumed the chase.  
  
Lily kept her eye on the bull's-eye, knowing that if she could reach it then this nightmare would be over. About three-quarters of the way through the room Lily was stopped short by a spear coming up straight through the floor. With every step she was dodging more spears. "What is this a damned Indiana Jones movie?" She turned to see Klos approaching cautiously. "You know where the spears are, don't you. Fine. Come and get me."  
  
"Seems you are a little out of your element." Klos said as he maneuvered around the spears that had already been tripped.  
  
"I live for this stuff. How about you?" Lily grabbed one of the spears and pulled with all her strength cracking a portion of it off. Klos took the opportunity to knock Lily off balance. She landed on the floor and a spear rose, tearing through the back of her shirt and leaving a gash in Lily's left shoulder blade. "Ahhhhhhhhh." Lily screamed as she grabbed her shoulder.  
  
Klos was about to grab her shirt when Lily brought the cracked pole around pushing Klos up and over her. He landed on his back behind her. Immediately three spears popped up. One went through his right shoulder blade and out his chest. Blood gushed everywhere. One grazed his left side and one other pierced right through his left leg. He screamed in agony.  
  
Lily grabbed a pole and pulled herself up. She leaned against the pole for support. "Told you I play to win." She looked up through the strands of hair that now fell in her face. She could see the bull's-eye. Lily looked down at the broken piece of stick and smiled. With her foot she brought it in front of her. She rolled the stick with the bottom of her foot forward, activating every trigger mechanism as the stick bounced by the reaction of every protruding spear. Now Lily had a clear path out. She kicked it one more time and the stick finally rolled clear as no more spears appeared. "Bingo."  
  
Klos tried pulling himself off the sticks, but with every movement, he just ended up screaming in pain.  
  
Lily turned. "I wouldn't move if I were you. Maybe if you're lucky when I shoot that bull's-eye, Raines will take pity on you."  
  
Klos sneered at Lily. "When you shoot that bull's-eye, you're not going to be thinking about me." He smiled an evil smile. Lily looked around cautiously as she approached the target. She pulled the gun from behind her and aimed at the bull's eye as she slowly came into range.  
  
*****************************  
  
Lily was standing in front of the television with the small Lily holding her hand. The little girl smiled. "Do you understand now?"  
  
The television began to grow; quadrupling in size, until the frame itself was gone and only the pictures of Lily's childhood remained.  
  
"Ethan told me that I needed to know my enemy. I thought that he meant the Centre and Dr. Raines." Lily looked down at the little girl. "But I was wrong, wasn't I?  
  
The little girl smiled and shook her head yes. "This has never been about Dr. Raines."  
  
Lily shook her head in agreement. "It's been about me. What I've been searching my whole life for." Lily looked back at the pictures. "Know thy enemy. Know thy self."  
  
The little girl pulled Lily down on one knee and gave her a hug. "You know what you have to do." She whispered into Lily's ear.  
  
Lily shook her head yes, gave the little girl a kiss, and stood up. Taking a deep breath, Lily walked into the pictures until the enveloped her.  
  
********************************  
  
The observation station was in chaos. Alarms were ringing and people were running from machine to machine. Raines had been watching Lily's defeat of Klos as a triumph, when the computers started going crazy.  
  
"Mr. Raines. Lily's readings are all over the chart. I think that the chip is overloading." The one technician stated after running a strip from the machine.  
  
Raines came around to the console to look at the readings himself. After seeing the readings, he looked up into the maze and saw that what he'd most feared was happening.  
  
*******************************  
  
Lily stopped dead in her tracks. Pain seared through the side of her head. "Not again!" She screamed as she grabbed the side of her head. She tried to raise the gun again to fire, but another shot of pain caused her knees to buckle. She looked up at the bull's eye and then the memories all were there. The pain, the horror, the existence that had been her life prior to Angel's Hope. No longer were they images that Lily was an outsider to. They were her memories. The chip sparked one last time sending pain through Lily's head and neck.  
  
Lily looked at the target and remembered:  
  
She could see the board with the dark man shape on it. She had seen it before. When Raines had brought her there for target practice.  
  
"You decide who lives or dies!" Raines yelled at her.  
  
Lily looked to her left and saw Raines and the Sweepers standing there. Waiting for her to fire.  
  
"Just imagine the board being a man. A bad man that has killed many people. Some of them children. You would be doing society a favor." Raines had told her.  
  
"I don't want to fire the gun. I don't want to kill anyone!" Lily yelled back at him.  
  
Raines came over and slapped the child hard in the face. "You will do as I say."  
  
"I thought I decided who lives or dies?" Lily yelled as she clung to her cheek with the hand that wasn't holding the gun.  
  
Raines slapped her again. Lily's head swung sideways with the force of the blow. She quickly snapped her head back. There was hatred in her eyes. And fire. "Good. Feel that hatred. Feed on that hatred. Rage is your companion. Now fire!"  
  
Lily pointed the gun at Raines, who stood his ground. The Sweepers went frantic, but Raines raised his hand in a gesture to stop. The gun trembled in her hands. "I can't......" Lily turned and fired at the standing board. She hit the mark right at the heart level.  
  
Raines took the gun out of Lily's hands. "Good Lily. Now you know what it feels like to kill a man." Raines hit a red button on top of a box at the table. The board swung around and fastened by cuffs to the back was a man who was drenched in blood.  
  
"Nooooo!!" Lily screamed as she dropped to her knees.  
  
Lily dropped the gun. She pushed herself up off the floor staggering to the bull's-eye. Lily noticed that the board turned and spun it around. Strapped to the back of the board was Bobby. Cuffed by leather straps at his neck, chest, wrists, and ankles. A piece of duct tape over his mouth. "Bobby."  
  
Lily grabbed the knife from its holder and sliced up each of the straps being careful as her vision went out of focus. He fell forward off the board. "It's OK." Lily said as she caught him, staggering backwards with him against her chest. "It's over."  
  
Bobby tried to focus on Lily as she brought him away from the target. He pulled the duct tape from his mouth. "They used some kind of drugs. Strapped me to that contraption." He shook his head trying to clear his mind.  
  
"They were trying to use you against me. Trying to get me to kill you." Lily looked into Bobby's eyes.  
  
Bobby smiled. "But you figured it out. Beat Raines at his own game." But now that he could focus he could see that something was wrong with Lily.  
  
Lily winced in pain again holding her temple. She looked up and out of the maze stepping away from Bobby. "I know you're listening Dr. Raines. I've won. Bobby has won. You've lost." Lily winced again in pain. "I know who I am now. You can't use my memories against me. You're chip is dead." She brought her hands up and held both her temples. "Like I told you before - I would die before I would work for you or hand you Angel's Hope." Lily swayed and then her knees buckled.  
  
Bobby grabbed her as she collapsed both of them falling to the floor. It was then that he realized what condition she was in; bruised, beaten, and deactivated. This was his Lily talking. Not the person Raines had tried to make her. "Lily. What's happening?" He asked as he moved her hair away from her face. He could tell she was in a tremendous amount of pain.  
  
Lily looked up at Lyle and smiled. "Bobby. Please tell me it's you." She was breathing harder.  
  
He smiled back down at her. "Yes. Lyle is gone. You helped destroy him." Then he realized what was happening.  
  
Lily smiled as she winced in pain. "I knew you were in there. I just had to find you." Her body tensed with pain. "Couldn't let Raines win." Lily took in a breath. "The chip causes...hemorrhaging...when it malfunctions. It's getting harder to see you."  
  
Bobby cradled her. "I'm right here. This has happened before. That's how you remembered what happened."  
  
Lily shook her head yes. "Do you remember when you pushed Angelo and I...down the hallway? We escaped...through the vent."  
  
"Yes." He was trying to hold back the tears.  
  
"Catherine Parker found me and got me out of the Centre. You saved my life." Lily winced in pain.  
  
"I think you have repaid that now." Lily's body tensed with pain again. "You have to hold on. I'll get you out of here and get you some help."  
  
Lily's smile faded. "I don't think so Bobby. You're going to have to finish this yourself."  
  
Bobby shook his head. "No. I need you with me."  
  
Lily brought her hand up onto Bobby's chest. She felt her way to his heart. "As long as you keep me in here..." She winced in pain. "I'll never be gone."  
  
Single tears fell down Bobby's cheeks. "I love you."  
  
"I lov..." Lily's head fell back and her hand slid down Bobby's chest.  
  
"Lily? Lily? Don't you leave me again!" Bobby pulled her to his chest and started to rock.  
  
****************************  
  
The technicians in the room came to a stop. The one technician looked up from the console and swallowed hard. "Mr. Raines. She's flat lined."  
  
Raines slammed his hand down on the table.  
  
***************************  
  
Joan was typing a message to her operative when she looked up and saw Ethan's face. "What? What's wrong?"  
  
Ethan turned to Parker. "I'm so sorry."  
  
Becky came running into the room tears streaming down her face.  
  
Parker came to the front of the chair she had been standing behind. The voices had been almost at a deafening level and then silence. Now all she could hear was her mother crying a name. "Lily."  
  
***************************  
  
Jarod was positioning himself at the exit to the last room of the maze. He readied himself to grab Lily the moment she stepped through the door. Suddenly he felt pain in his temples. He steadied himself against the wall. Everything in the hallway got fuzzy and then went back to normal.  
  
Jarod's heart began to ache. He quickly went to the door and tried to open it. He pulled his tool kit out and knelt down to pick the lock when Jarod's whole body shook. He hit the door sideways and slid down the wall. Then he felt...empty. "Lily. No." He hung his head and slammed his fist into the door.  
  
***************************  
  
Lily found herself standing in front of a bright light. A figure was coming toward her, but she couldn't make out who it was. Others were walking up behind the figure. Then the person became clearer and walked up in front of Lily.  
  
"Catherine? Catherine Parker?"  
  
***************************  
  
The Game includes life and death. Players spend their lives trying to figure out The puzzles and mazes Fate puts in their paths. And some paths just lead to heaven. 


	64. Ever After

The Game includes life and death. Players spend their lives trying to figure out The puzzles and mazes Fate puts in their paths. And some paths just lead to heaven.  
  
***************************  
  
Lily found herself standing in front of a bright light. A figure was coming toward her, but she couldn't make out who it was. Others were walking up behind the figure. Then the person became clearer and walked up in front of Lily.  
  
"Catherine? Catherine Parker?" Lily said confused at what was happening and where she was.  
  
Catherine came and gently cupped Lily's face in her hands. "Lily. You have become such a beautiful woman."  
  
"Is it really you Mrs. Parker? Or is this just one of Dr. Raines' head- trips? I don't understand." Lily asked concerned that the chip was causing this scenario.  
  
Catherine took both of Lily's hands. "Dr. Raines has no more control over you. Here you are at peace."  
  
Then Lily looked down at their clutched hands and remembered what had happened. "I was in Bobby's arms and I was in a lot of pain." She looked up. "I died."  
  
Catherine Parker smiled and shook her head yes. "I have been watching." She ran her hand down Lily's face. "Over you and Jarod. Timmy and Rebecca. Melissa, Robert, and Ethan. All of my beloved children."  
  
Lily's face became distressed. "Jarod." She looked away from Catherine Parker. "Bobby."  
  
*****************************  
  
Jarod's heart ached like only once before - when Kyle had died in his arms. But this time it was different. Somehow he knew it was Lily. Sydney had told him about the unique ways that twins knew things about each other. He knew that throughout their lives Lily had experienced similar feelings as he had, but he had never felt anything like this before. And the point of origin of the pain was right where Lily's chip was.  
  
The emptiness engulfed him like a great wave from the ocean. He let his head hit the door with a thump and closed his eyes. He had failed her. He had promised everyone that he would bring her home and now he felt like she was somewhere that he could no longer reach.  
  
Then from his left side, a hand touched his shoulder. Jarod turned to see Angelo standing next to him. He was offering his hand to Jarod to get up.  
  
"Come with me." Angelo said as nervously looked around and helped Jarod to his feet.  
  
"Angelo. What are you doing here? I have to get Lily out of there." Jarod started to pull the tools out to pick the lock door.  
  
Angelo shook his head no and his face became sad. "Your sister with the Angel now. Can't help her. Have to go. They're coming now. I have a place to hide." Angelo grabbed Jarod's hand and pulled him reluctantly around the corner to a set of rings to the ceiling. "No one left up there."  
  
"Angelo. I have to get Lily. She's in there." Jarod pointed to the room door that was catty corner to them.  
  
Angelo tugged at Jarod's arm. "There is nothing you can do for her now." Jarod's face showed his pain. "If you stay, they will catch you. We will get her - later." Angelo pushed Jarod towards the rings. "Now go up."  
  
Jarod had come to trust Angelo's empathic abilities, so he climbed up. He hoped that from this position he would be able to observe the other room. Angelo followed Jarod up the ladder and quietly closed the door. A few moments later, all hell would break loose.  
  
Angelo took Jarod to a ventilation grate where he could observe the final maze room. He saw Lyle holding a limp Lily in his arms. He was just rocking back and forth. And he was - crying. It was then that Jarod knew what he was afraid of was true. Lily had died in the maze. Anger filled him as he saw Lyle sitting there with his sister's body. He had killed her. But then why would he be there holding her and crying. Crying was not a Parker trait and emotion was not something that Lyle felt.  
  
Then across from them he saw someone else impaled on several sticks. Had he been the one to kill his sister? "I have to get down there. I have to find out who killed my sister." Jarod went to go back to the door, when Angelo grabbed his arm and pulled back forcibly. It took Jarod by surprise.  
  
"Look." Is all Angelo said as he pointed with his other hand. Jarod returned his gaze to what was happening below.  
  
***************************  
  
Single tears fell down Bobby's cheeks. "I love you."  
  
"I lov..." Lily's head fell back and her hand slid down Bobby's chest.  
  
"Lily? Lily? Don't you leave me again!" Bobby pulled her to his chest and started to rock. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. If you hadn't sent for me, Raines never would have followed. Wouldn't have caught you." He leaned his face down into her hair. He knew there was nothing he could do if the chip had caused her to hemorrhage on the brain. But he heard voices and those voices were telling him to do something. He tried to decipher and listen to that one voice that had come across clearer than the others. The one he somehow knew was his mother's.  
  
He laid Lily down and felt for a pulse. Nothing. He started pushing on her chest. And then intermittedly breathing into her mouth with her nose pinched. "Come on Lily. Help me here."  
  
Just then the door opened and their part of the room was filled with people. Two orderlies were pushing gurneys. Two other medical personnel grabbed Lily out of Bobby's arms and placed her on one of the transports. A nurse immediately started putting an IV in.  
  
"What are you going to do to her?" Bobby screamed as already he could see a nurse hop onto the gurney and start CPR. Another held a resuscitator bag over Lily's mouth and nose and squeezed air into her body. The nurse was injecting something into the IV. Two Sweepers grabbed him as he tried to go to Lily. "Let go of me you son of a bitch!" He screamed. "Let me go with her!" Bobby screamed seeing them start to move Lily. But the Sweepers initiated a tighter hold as Bobby thrashed in their arms. Bobby pulled himself free just as the door closed separating him from Lily. "No! Don't you do anything sadistic to her you bastard. Do you hear me Dad!" Bobby scanned the room, looking for somewhere to vent the anger that was filling him rapidly. It was then that he spotted Lily's gun lying on the floor. In all the confusion, the Sweepers had not spotted it. Too quick for anyone to react, Bobby picked up the gun. He headed for Klos, who the other members of the medical team were trying to extract from the spears. His anger growing as he got closer. He knew that he had told Lily that he was Bobby, but his fury reminded him of the life he had been living. "You are a dead man. Lily may not have been able to kill you, but I can." And the caring boy that Bobby was and had gotten in touch with for a while now gave way to the cold hearted man that was Lyle.  
  
*****************************  
  
Charles went and sat in the chair next to Broots' bed. He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. His baby, a baby he hadn't even gotten to meet, had just died 1500 miles away in front of his eyes. He had watched her hold her head in pain. Watched her collapse into Lyle's arms. Into the arms of the man who had killed his son. Watched her body convulse in what must have been agonizing pain.  
  
He leaned his head into his hands as he suffered through his emotions, which were a muddled mess of sorrow with anger. And he wondered how he was going to tell Margaret.  
  
Broots sat in his bed not knowing what to do or what to say. Never had he expected when they tapped into the Centre that they would have witnessed Jarod's sister's death. Suddenly he felt very awkward. He was in the middle of another family's grief. What made him feel ill was that he had been a part of the organization that killed her. What made him even more ill was that he was thankful it wasn't Debbie. "I'm so sorry." Is all he could say. The sound of a sniffle off to Broots' right reminded him that Thomas was still standing next to him. He turned to see the young boy fighting back tears.  
  
"No. She can't be dead." He was shaking his head. "She can't be." Thomas went around the end of the bed. "This is just some sick Centre simulation."  
  
Major Charles lifted his head, his tears streaking his face, having realized that Thomas had probably never experienced losing someone before in his life. "Thomas. Come here." Major Charles opened his arms to the young man.  
  
But Thomas just continued to go around the bed and head for the door. "It's not true. She's not dead. It's a Centre trick." Thomas pulled the door open, sending it flying into the wall with the force of a wounded soul.  
  
Major Charles ran after the young man, chasing him down the hallway. Charles caught up with him at the nurse's station. He grabbed the boy and hugged him tightly. "No. Leave me alone." Thomas fought for a few moments before he succumbed to tears in his father's arms.  
  
"I know. I know. Let it out." Charles' tears joining Thomas' as they both wept.  
  
"What happened?" Came a voice from behind Charles.  
  
He turned to see Margaret standing in the hallway with the assistance of Emily. "Is it Jarod?" Margaret said as she saw her husband's face. Charles shook his head no. "Lily?" Charles' face said all she needed to know. Tears formed in her eyes.  
  
Charles brought Thomas over and he hugged his wife. She buried her face in his shoulder as Emily hugged Thomas. Through the tears, Margaret said. "I never got to see her. I never got to hold her. I never got to love her."  
  
*******************************  
  
Becky came around and put her arms around Dr. Stedman. "Will someone please tell me what the hell just happened?" Becky pulled away from Stedman.  
  
"I was in the playroom with Kelly and we were playing Miss Mary Mack when our hands touched. I saw..." Becky took in a short breath. "I saw Lily lying in someone's arms and she...died."  
  
It was Parker's turn to take in a sharp breath. "She was with Lyle."  
  
Ethan shook his head in agreement. "The voices were screaming that she was in danger. And would be at peace."  
  
Stedman turned off the computer. There was no need to contact her Centre personnel now. She was sure she would get a report from Jarod. A report that she didn't want to hear. "Are you sure? I mean maybe you misinterpreted your vision Becky. Maybe she was just injured."  
  
Parker closed her eyes not wanting to do this. "Don't go into the denial crap. You're the psychiatrist. Becky saw it, we felt it - she's dead." Parker pushed herself up out of her chair. "You know why - because no one ever gets out of the Centre except in a body bag!" Parker headed for the door.  
  
"Melissa." Stedman called to Parker's back.  
  
Parker stopped in her tracks. Without turning back, she spoke to Joan. "My name is Miss Parker. Please address me as such. I'll be with my team. They need a lot of work, so I might as well run them through their courses while we're waiting for our trip to Renewal Wing." She grabbed the door handle, opened it, and left the room without another word.  
  
Ethan went to follow her, but Dr. Stedman stopped him. "Don't Ethan. Let her have some time alone. She's not use to sharing her emotions openly. Give her time to..." Stedman pushed back her tears. "grieve."  
  
"All right." Ethan wiped his own tears that had formed as he saw the pain in his sister's face. "I think I better find my...family. I think I should be the one to tell them."  
  
Joan shook her head in agreement. "I'll join you in a few moments. In case anyone needs help." She looked away from Ethan trying to fight away the tears and keep her composure.  
  
Ethan shook his head in agreement and left the office.  
  
A few moments later, Becky put her arms back around Stedman. And in that embrace, Joan let go of herself and she sobbed. Becky joined in as the two women just held each other.  
  
Parker was walking briskly towards the exercise end of the complex. Morris was five feet behind her, now being able to read when Parker needed her distance. She was fighting back the tears; her mind running the times she had been with Lily. How she had watched Lily's capture. She wondered if Jarod knew.  
  
How he would handle losing someone else in his life to the Centre? How she wasn't there to comfort him. To put her arms around him and tell him she would be there for him. She wouldn't be able to tell him everything would be all right, but that he would survive. Like they always had.  
  
She ached to hold him. To wipe away the tears she knew he was shedding. She could feel herself trembling, wishing she too had his arms around her. To feel the safety of his strong embrace envelope her.  
  
A chair stood in the hallway up ahead of Parker. She headed straight for it, picked it up, and threw it up against the wall with all her might. It shattered into a million pieces. "Damn you Raines! Damn you!"  
  
*************************  
  
The one orderly pushed the gurney towards the door and into the hallway at full speed. The crew continued to try and resuscitate Lily's lifeless body. They reached the elevator waiting for them and transported her to SL- 27. Raines was waiting for them as the doors opened. "Get her into Operating Room 1."  
  
The gurney got pushed into the operating room as nurses and doctors swarmed around Lily. Her top was removed and leads from the EKG and EEG machines were attached to her head and chest. Both read a flat lined response.  
  
"Give me 2 mg of epi." The one doctor screamed. The doctor shot it straight into Lily's heart. "Get me the defibrillator paddles." The nurse handed the doctor the paddles, then applied the conductive jelly. "Set it for 200 WS. Clear!" Everyone removed their hands from around Lily. The doctor brought the paddles down and Lily's body jumped as the electricity shot into her body. The doctor looked over at the machine and still saw a flat line. "Set for 300. Clear." The doctor started to sweat, as his patient showed no response. And Raines had told him what the consequences were of failure. "One more time. Set to 360. Clear." Once more Lily's body lurched with the surge of electricity.  
  
And there it was. Very faint, very weak, but it was there. A heartbeat.  
  
The doctor handed off the paddles. "I want a central line in." Another doctor worked to get the central line established. Lily was given various medications to keep her heart from arresting. Then they placed her on a respirator. "Let's get ready for surgery. We may have a CVA here. I need a scan done now!"  
  
The medical team worked feverishly over the next hour to stop the bleeding the chip had caused. The doctor looked over at Mr. Raines, who was observing the surgery from the window of the scrub room. "Mr. Raines. We have no choice but to remove the chip. If I do." The man hesitated "She may be left in a permanent coma. And I've never seen anything like this before." The man said nervously. "I'm not sure how to proceed."  
  
Raines nodded at his assistant, who was already in surgical garb, who then entered the operating room. He pulled a mobile computer over to the doctor and brought up a file. Raines pushed the intercom button. "This is how you will proceed." Raines explained in detail how the chip was to be removed.  
  
****************************  
  
Some paths lead to heaven. Some paths lead to hell. Some paths lead to limbo. Which paths are the Players on? 


	65. The Painful Soul

Some paths lead to heaven. Some paths lead to hell. Some paths lead to limbo. Which paths are the Players on?  
  
***************************  
  
The medical team worked feverishly over the next hour to stop the bleeding the chip had caused. The doctor looked over at Mr. Raines, who was observing the surgery from the window of the scrub room. "Mr. Raines. We have no choice but to remove the chip. If I do." The man hesitated "She may be left in a permanent coma. And I've never seen anything like this before." The man said nervously. "I'm not sure how to proceed."  
  
Raines nodded at his assistant, who was already in surgical garb, who then entered the operating room. He pulled a mobile computer over to the doctor and brought up a file. Raines pushed the intercom button. "This is how you will proceed." Raines explained in detail how the chip was to be removed.  
  
Raines watched as the doctors delicately worked around the intricate circuit.  
  
****************************  
  
Too quick for anyone to react, Bobby picked up the gun. He headed for Klos, who the other members of the medical team were trying to extract from the spears. His anger growing as he got closer. He knew that he had told Lily that he was Bobby, but his fury reminded him of the life he had been living. "You are a dead man. Lily may not have been able to kill you, but I can." And the boy that Bobby was and had gotten in touch with for a while now faded as anger and rage filled Lyle.  
  
Lyle held up the gun in front of him. The medical personnel, who had extricated Kloss from the spears and were trying to stop the bleeding, stopped dead. The Sweepers tried to advance on Lyle, but he swung the gun. "No one is going anywhere. I'll kill you and you know I will." The Sweepers stopped their advance, having worked for and known Lyle. Lyle approached Klos who's eyes showed his disgust at his own situation. He pointed the gun at Klos' chest.  
  
****************************  
  
Catherine approached Lily and stood beside her. "I want to thank you."  
  
Lily looked at Catherine. "Thank me? Shouldn't I be thanking you?"  
  
Catherine once again took Lily's hands. "You have accomplished so much more than I ever expected. You survived a childhood that most children would have crumbled from. Not only did you survive, but you flourished. And you helped Joan counter what they were doing with Jarod's simulations. But mostly you helped my Robert. You helped him see that there is a life besides the violence that he had come to embrace. You opened his heart."  
  
Lily smiled. "And he mine. I thought I was in love. He's a wonderful man, but he hid things from me." Lily's smile faded. "Kept their secrets."  
  
"Mark. I know." Catherine's face turned serious. "I need you to do something Lily. Robert's very fragile right now. He is teetering on a choice and he is reacting the only way he has ever known how."  
  
Suddenly Lily could see Bobby and he was pointing a gun at Klos. "He blames Klos for what happened. He's going to kill him. How do I know these things?"  
  
"The two of you are connected. Like you and Jarod have a special bond. You have to stop him." Catherine's face was sad. "Or he will lose everything that he has gained by finding you."  
  
"What can I do?" Lily asked confused.  
  
Catherine whispered in her ear. "Go to him."  
  
*******************************  
  
"Go ahead." Klos hissed. "Kill me. It'll be better than what Raines will do to me."  
  
Lyle was about to pull the trigger when the voices seemed to be all around him. He looked around, bringing the gun down a little as he realized what it was. "Stop that. I'm not listening to you! I decide who lives or dies." Lyle brought the gun back up.  
  
Sweepers ran everywhere trying to circle Lyle, Klos, and the medical team. But no one could see Catherine and Lily standing a little distance behind Lyle. Catherine leaned toward Lily. "He can hear me, but it's you he has to hear."  
  
Lily watched as the Sweepers surrounded Bobby and as he swung the gun in defense. She stepped away from Catherine and took a step closer to Bobby. How was she going to reach him? She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Music started to fill the air around them. She opened her yeys, turned, and looked at Catherine who nodded in agreement for her to proceed. "Bobby. You have to listen to me." She saw no response from Bobby. She began to sing the song that reminded her of them.  
  
There's a ship out on the ocean  
  
At the mercy of the sea  
  
It's been tossed about lost and broken  
  
Wandering aimlessly  
  
And God, somehow you know that ship is you.  
  
Lily was now directly behind Lyle, with her hands on his shoulders, singing behind his ear. Lyle's arm relaxed a little as he could hear the words of the song playing in his head.  
  
Because there's a lighthouse in the harbor  
  
Shining faithfully  
  
Pouring it's light out across the water  
  
For your sinking soul to see  
  
That someone out here still believes in thee  
  
Lily leaned up against Bobby's shoulder.  
  
On a prayer, in a song  
  
You hear my voice and it keeps you hanging on  
  
Raining down, against the wind  
  
I'm reaching out until we reach the circle's end  
  
When you come back to me again  
  
Lily lifted her head and extended her arm so that her hand was on top of his hand trying to push down the gun. Lyle could feel her presence with him.  
  
There's a moment we all come to  
  
In our own time and our own space  
  
Where all that we've done we can undo  
  
If our heart's in the right place  
  
The gun shook in Lyle's hand.  
  
On a prayer, in a song  
  
You hear my voice and it keeps you hanging on  
  
Raining down, against the wind  
  
I'm reaching out until we reach the circle's end  
  
When you come back to me again  
  
Lyle and Lily together lowered the gun to Lyle's side. The gun dropped to the floor. Lyle closed his eyes and it was like he could see her standing there with him. In Lyle's minds eye, he could see Lily holding his hands.  
  
Again and again I see Our yesterdays in front of me  
  
Unfolding like a mystery  
  
We're changing all that is and used to be  
  
"Lily." Lyle whispered as the Sweepers decended upon him. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to lose the sight of Lily. She was singing straight to him.  
  
On a prayer, in a song  
  
I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on  
  
Raining down, against the wind  
  
I'm reaching out until we reach the circle's end  
  
When you come back to me again  
  
The Sweepers pushed Lyle to the floor. Lily got down also. When Lyle opened his eyes, for a flash it was like he could see Lily sitting across from him, then she was gone. But he heard the final words.  
  
When you come back to me again.  
  
"Lily." He had felt her. He had heard her, like he did Catherine Parker. But somehow it was different. He had also seen her for a split second. The Sweepers pulled Lyle to his feet.  
  
Klos was moved to a gurney and passed Lyle. "Damn you. I wanted you to kill me!"  
  
Lyle looked up at Klos. "I'm not selling my soul to save your ass. Hope you enjoy Renewal Wing." Klos growled as they continued to move him out of the room. "I hope Raines kills you himself you son of a bitch." The Sweepers started moving Lyle toward the door. "So are we on our own trip to Renewal Wing?"  
  
Tom, the lead Sweeper, hit the code for the door lock. "Orders are you are to be detained on SL-27. Mr. Raines wants to talk to you."  
  
"Can't wait." Lyle allowed himself to be escorted to SL-27, the whole time contemplating how to get to Lily. Because some how he knew she was alive. And if she was alive, he was going to get to her.  
  
******************************  
  
Charles assisted Margaret back to her room. Ethan was coming down the hall and spotted Emily, her face a mess of tears and run makeup. He knew he no longer had to tell his family. Somehow they had found out already. He came up next to Emily just as she reached her mother's room door.  
  
"You've heard?" Ethan wanted to confirm.  
  
"About Lily?" Emily nodded her head affirmative. She spoke in a hushed tone. "Dad watched her die. And he just told Mom."  
  
Ethan looked past Emily at Margaret. She looked tired and worn. She had gone through a lot in her life. And in this moment, the years had taken its toll. The strong front she had been sustaining had crumbled and she was sobbing in her husband's arms. A nurse brushed past Ethan and Emily. She was trying to give Margaret a shot to calm her down,but Margaret was refusing.  
  
How had he been so wrong? He had listened to the voices. They had told him that going to the Centre is what Lily had to do. Why had everything gone so wrong? "This is all my fault." Ethan finally said.  
  
Emily turned back from watching the situation with her mother to look at Ethan. "What?"  
  
Ethan hung his head. "I sent Lily to the Centre. I listened to the voices. They told me that she needed to know her enemy."  
  
Emily concluded the rest before Ethan had a chance to continue. "So she allowed herself to be captured so that she could confront Raines."  
  
"And herself." Ethan added. "She had so many demons to fight within herself. Now I don't know if I made the right decision."  
  
Emily put her arm around Ethan. "You did what you thought needed to be done. Who knows whether is was a right or wrong decision. She did what she felt she had to do. There had to be a reason for all of this." Emily noticed that Ethan was looking off. "Ethan? Ethan? What's wrong?"  
  
Charles came out of Margaret's room after convincing her that the nurse was right and she needed to rest. "What's the matter?" Charles could see that Ethan was listening to something. Charles shook Ethan. "What are they telling you? Has something happened to Jarod?"  
  
Ethan snapped back as Charles shook him. "No. Nothing with Jarod." He hesitated for a moment and smiled. "It's Lily. I can hear her, with the other voices. There's music. I've never heard music before." Ethan walked away from Charles and Emily. "What do you mean? I don't understand. You're all talking too fast. Where is my Mother?"  
  
Charles and Emily followed Ethan. "What are the voices telling you Ethan?" Emily asked.  
  
He looked up at both of them. "A battle is going on. Lyle..Lily..fighting for their souls." He listened a little more. "Lily's alive."  
  
*****************************  
  
Jarod watched as Lyle pointed the gun at Klos. He secretly hoped that if he was the man who had killed his sister, that Lyle would blow him away. But something happened that Jarod didn't expect - Lyle stopped. Klos should have been dead the moment Lyle picked up the gun. "What is he doing?"  
  
Angelo came up next to Jarod. "Saving his soul." Angelo moved in front of Jarod. "Lily believes in him. Catherine believes in him."  
  
Jarod shook his head. "Angelo - it's Lyle. Lyle is a murderer."  
  
Angelo looked sad. "But Bobby is not. Just confused, angry..." Angelo hesitated. "And lost. He doesn't know who he is."  
  
Jarod exhaled. He knew how that felt. He looked back as Lyle dropped the gun and the Sweepers engulfed him. Jarod tried to feel compassion for the man, but could only see a tortuous adversary and the murderer of his brother. "I don't understand any of this. Why drop the gun. He could have shot his way out. He didn't even put up a fight?"  
  
Angelo continued to watch Lyle as they dragged him away. "Lily was with him. He doesn't have to be Lyle any more."  
  
Jarod tried to comprehend the metaphysical explanation that Angelo was trying to tell him. He knew that Parker could hear her mother. Could Lyle hear Lily? Could their bond be that strong that she could reach him through death?  
  
Angelo started to pull Jarod. "We have to go now. Save Lily."  
  
Jarod looked at Angelo perplexed. "Angelo. Lily is dead."  
  
Angelo smiled. "Not dead. Sleeping. We need to find her."  
  
Jarod grabbed Angelo. "We saw her body Angelo. She died in the maze. She's gone."  
  
Angelo shook his head no. "Not gone...lost. We have to help her find her way home." Angelo started crawling down the passageway.  
  
Jarod followed, not sure what to believe any more.  
  
****************************  
  
Broots had been left alone as the O'Connors supported each other through their grief. He had heard Margaret and Emily find out the news through the semi open door to his room. When Charles had chased after Thomas, he had not closed the door.  
  
He had almost turned off the computer. He didn't have the right to be spying on what was going on, but then he knew that he should report everything to Miss Parker. Old habits died hard. So he contuinued to watch.  
  
Lyle had tried to get Lily breathing again. Seeing this side of Lyle gave him the creeps. It was like looking at a schizophrenic person. Lyle would never have helped anyone before, let alone Jarod's sister. Then the room was filled with Sweepers and technicians. They grabbed Lily's body and tried to revive her. Then the medical team and Lily were gone.  
  
Lyle was left with the Sweepers and...a gun. He was going to kill the other man, but then stopped. Was he talking to someone? Then Broots sat shocked - Lyle dropped the gun. The Sweepers swarmed him and dragged him from the room.  
  
Broots decided to go back to roaming the rooms. Maybe he could see where they had taken Lily. The rooms randomly changed as Broots looked at empty room after empty room.  
  
Then he found her. Lily was in surgery. When Broots looked at the EKG machine, there was a heartbeat. "She's alive." He said to himself. He looked up from the computer. Excitement filled him and he yelled. "She's alive. Major Charles. Thomas. She's alive!"  
  
He looked back at the computer and gasped. The computer had continued on it's random search. Broots hit the key to stop. He touched the screen. "Debbie." A single tear ran down his cheek.  
  
****************************  
  
Again and again I see My yesterdays in front of me  
  
Unfolding like a mystery  
  
We're changing all that is and used to be  
  
Disclaimer: The wonderful song "When You Come Back To Me" is performed by Garth Brooks. I don't own it, I just borrowed it and made a few modifications for no other purpose than to express this story. 


	66. Faith and Determination

Again and again I see My yesterdays in front of me  
  
Unfolding like a mystery  
  
We're changing all that is and used to be  
  
***************************  
  
Broots decided to go back to roaming the rooms. Maybe he could see where they had taken Lily. The rooms randomly changed as Broots looked at empty room after empty room.  
  
Then he found her. Lily was in surgery. When Broots looked at the EKG machine, there was a heartbeat. "She's alive." He said to himself. He looked up from the computer. Excitement filled him and he yelled. "She's alive. Major Charles. Thomas. She's alive!"  
  
He looked back at the computer and gasped. The computer had continued on its random search. Broots hit the key to stop. He touched the screen. "Debbie." A single tear ran down his cheek.  
  
Laying on a medical bed with an intravenous line running into her was Debbie. From what Broots could tell she was unconscious, but looked otherwise unharmed. The question was what had they done to her mentally. She was just a young girl - the most she should have ever worried about was who was going to take her to the prom.  
  
Just then the door got pushed open and Major Charles, Emily, Ethan, and Thomas entered the room. "How do you know she's alive?" Major Charles asked as the group gathered around his bed.  
  
"That's not Lily." Ethan added looking at the screen. Then Ethan heard the voices. "She's your daughter."  
  
Broots nodded his head yes. "They have her at the Centre. The program was scanning the rooms and I found her."  
  
Major Charles looked closer at the screen. "It doesn't look like they have hurt her Mr. Broots. Just kept her manageable. This is good. Jarod will be able to reach her. But you yelled that Lily was alive, I don't understand."  
  
Broots hated to do it, but he typed onto the computer and the search returned back to the previous screen. The doctors were still operating on her. "Here. If you look at the monitor, there is a heartbeat."  
  
Charles, Emily, and Ethan looked closer at the screen. "It's her." Ethan confirmed.  
  
"And she's alive. But why would they be operating on her? Could she have sustained a head injury?"  
  
"She has a chip implanted in her brain Major Charles." A voice came from behind. The group turned to see Dr. Stedman and Becky in the doorway to the room. Becky pushed past Joan to look at the monitor. "I know it sounds unreal."  
  
"A chip? How would she have a.?" But Stedman's face said all Major Charles needed to know. "Raines. Nothing is unreal when it comes to the Centre."  
  
Stedman nodded her head in agreement. "When they were children. He was trying to control them and make them into Centre assassins without remorse or care for consequence." Dr. Stedman put her hand on Major Charles shoulder. "He put one in Kyle too. I'm sure that's why he did the things he did."  
  
Charles closed his eyes in disgust. "I want to kill that man for what he has done to my children." He opened them again and blinked tears away before they could fall. "Do you think Jarod will be able to get to her in this condition? Will he have to leave her behind?"  
  
Dr. Stedman looked closer at the surgery. "I'm not sure. It would depend on how much damage the chip has done. It sends electric shocks into the brain when it malfunctions."  
  
"She's a fighter." Becky said as she turned away from having to look at the surgery. "They won't be able to keep her down."  
  
"It's not Raines I'm worried about; it's her own body. She's had a lot done in the last few months. I'm not sure her body will be able to take the pressure of another surgery." Dr. Stedman turned away, feeling helpless to be able to do anything. "Major Charles. I have to let you know that she has had an operation like this not even a month ago. There is a possibility there could be permanent brain damage."  
  
Major Charles took a deep breath in. "I'm going to take the stance that this nice woman has - she's an O'Connor that makes her a fighter."  
  
Dr. Stedman realized that she had been rude in her haste to enter the room. "I'm sorry. Major Charles let me introduce you to Becky. She is one of my assistants and is very close to Lily."  
  
Becky offered her hand out. "We grew up thinking we were sisters." She shook Major Charles' hand.  
  
Emily looked over at Becky and felt a little pang of hurt. A complete stranger had gotten to grow up knowing her sister as her own.  
  
Becky looked over to Emily. "I'm sorry Emily. I know that you, Jarod, and Kyle should have been able to grow together as a family. The whole situation is horrible. I lost a sister and you gained one."  
  
Emily looked at Becky in shock. "How do you know my name and how did you know what I was thinking?"  
  
Becky smiled. "I'm empathic. I have a gift for deciphering other's feelings. Jarod has told us a lot about all of you." Becky turned to each person and pointed. "Thomas. Ethan. You have a special gift like Miss Parker. So you know what I can do."  
  
Ethan was curious. "You can hear the voices?"  
  
"Not quite like you. I see images and get visions of things that have happened or will happen." Becky frowned. "Wish I could see the outcome of this."  
  
"We won't be able to contact Jarod till he's out of the Centre. He's on radio silence." Dr. Stedman moved away from the computer.  
  
"Which means I can't tell him Debbie's there till he's already left. How is he going to rescue her, if he doesn't know she's there? That's it - I'm getting out of here." Broots started trying to get out of bed and winced in pain as he moved. He swayed the minute he hit the floor. "How do I get these these", Broots motioned toward the IV, "things out of me?" Broots started messing with the IV.  
  
Dr. Stedman came storming around the bed. "You can't leave Mr. Broots! You're in no condition to leave let alone take on the Centre. Please don't make me restrain you."  
  
"You don't understand. She's my baby. All I have. I can't just sit here and do nothing. I want out!" Broots pleaded as Becky pushed the nurse's button.  
  
A few minutes later the nurse stuck her head into the room. "Can I help you?" Seeing the situation, Dr. Stedman nodded and the nurse already knew what the doctor needed. She left to get the medication.  
  
"I think it best if everyone left." Dr. Stedman semi-ordered.  
  
Becky came up next to Mr. Broots as everyone else started to leave the room to try and calm him down. "Mr. Broots. If I can get a hold of Angelo, I will make sure he tells Jarod about Debbie. I've done it before, but with Jarod's help. It isn't always so easy to make the connection without him being here, but I'll try."  
  
"Am I a prisoner here? I want to leave. I want to get my daughter. Miss Parker would let me leave." Broots swayed a little more.  
  
"You are not a prisoner here Mr. Broots, but a guest. In the same instance, I can't let you leave. I have this facility to think about and your own safety. The Centre obviously tried to kill you to get to your daughter. Which means they will kill you to keep you away from her." The nurse returned with the hypodermic and discreetly handed it to Dr. Stedman.  
  
The nurse attempted to get Broots back into the bed. "Sir, it would be much easier if you cooperated."  
  
"I'm done cooperating! I allowed the Centre to run my life because I needed to support Debbie and look where it got me. Now I'm here and if I cooperate with you Debbie is in danger. So I just want to leave!" Broots had decided that he was going to take a stand, even though he had a knot in the pit of his stomach. Debbie's welfare was the one thing that riled him.  
  
While the nurse continued to distract Broots, Stedman moved to his IV line and shot in the meds. "I'm sorry Mr. Broots. I can't allow that."  
  
"Don't, please, don't." Broots pleaded as he spotted what Stedman was doing too late. Broots could feel the warmth of the medication flow into his arm and his knees buckled. The nurse maneuvered him so that he gently fell onto the bed. He was falling into unconsciousness. "No.I need to.help Debbie."  
  
Becky looked at the poor man. "I feel so bad for him. All he wants to do is protect his daughter."  
  
Dr. Stedman came around the bed allowing the nurse access to tuck Broots into his bed. "I had no choice Becky. I can't have people with knowledge of Angel's Hope running into the Centre. No matter who is in danger. We will have to hope that Jarod finds the young lady and can get her out as well as Lily."  
  
Becky was frowning. "How does Jarod get out both Lily and Debbie? Neither looks like they are in any condition to walk out on their own accord."  
  
Stedman shook her head. "I'm not sure what the solution is, but it's not going to be Mr. Broots leaving this facility." Stedman thought for a moment. "I am going to have to restrain him when he wakes up. You may want to get Melissa and tell her what is happening."  
  
Becky frowned again. "You know she doesn't like when you call her that."  
  
Stedman picked up the phone. "With age comes privilege. I'll call her what I want to call her." Stedman dialed the phone. "Yes. This is Dr. Stedman. I need restraints and a guard for room."  
  
While Stedman was talking, Becky slipped out of the room. She had to find Miss Parker. Then she had to find a way to Blue Cove.  
  
****************************  
  
The Sweeper team threw Bobby into his room. He looked up at the cameras knowing that only the technicians and Raines' minions would be watching. Raines would be with Lily, wherever she was. It made his stomach turn. He should be with her. Raines had no right to be with her as she teetered between life and death. He so much wanted to choke the life out of that man.  
  
He walked around not knowing what to do with himself, all the while analyzing the room. He knew that the duct system was electrified. It had been his idea. After Jarod's attempted escape when he had first brought him back to the Centre, he had suggested to Raines that they electrify the duct grates. Now he could kick himself.  
  
Bobby finally sat on the bed with his back up against the wall. He leaned his head against his bent knee trying to figure out how to get them out of this mess. For the first time in his life he wished that Parker were here. She would have had her nose all into this. She would have stopped Raines. Her actions the past year had indicated it. Her allegiance to the Centre had been waning since Thomas had been murdered.  
  
Thomas - another person who's blood was on his hands. He had instructed Bridgette to kill Thomas on his father's orders. Or whom he had thought was his father. Another secret Parker had uncovered. Raines was really their father. He had suspected it since his father was passing off the result of Bridgette's pregnancy as his own. For survival, he had acted like this revelation was fine with him. But in reality, the idea had sickened him. When push came to shove, he was ready to kill Raines for control of the Centre. It was his birthright. He was the Parker heir, he had committed himself to their philosophy to succeed at all costs, and he had given up his soul.  
  
But now Lily had showed him that he hadn't willing given over his soul, it had been taken. It had been stolen from him in his childhood. Taken and disposed of as if it were bad garbage. He hadn't made that decision, Raines had. He now remembered what Raines had done to him all those years ago. Things that the Bowman's had continued and Raines came back and finished.  
  
He shivered at the thought of the shed. It had represented so much to him - a place of torture as well as a sanctuary. Because as long as he was locked in that shed alone, no one could hurt him. And it was there that he had concocted his first plan for revenge. To make Lyle Bowman pay for what he had done to him. What Raines had probably told him to do. So in prison for his faked death his adopted father sat. It's where he belonged. The urge for revenge still burned in him. That part of him that had become Lyle.  
  
Bobby took in a deep breath. He was tired - both physically and mentally. But from somewhere he felt comfort - like a loving arm around him. Somehow he knew that Lily was with him. He could feel her presence.  
  
Lily had her arms around him, though she could feel no physical contact. She wanted to feel herself in his arms, but knew that she couldn't. She whispered in his ear. "You and I are both caught in limbo. I don't know how to help you." She looked up at Catherine Parker who stood across from the two. "Why are we here Mrs. Parker?"  
  
Catherine looked at her with sad eyes. "To find a reason to live."  
  
*****************************  
  
Raines stood there as they moved Lily into the Pre/Post surgical room. They had taken her off the ventilator and she was breathing on her own. That was a good sign. The project may be salvageable, though the doctors could not guarantee him that Lily would ever wake up.  
  
He turned to the other side of the room. Klos had been brought there and left as instructed. The man lay there in obvious pain, which pleased Raines. No one ever double-crossed him. He slowly approached the man dragging his squeaking air tank behind him. "Not dead yet Mr. Klos?" Raines asked. A sinister smile on his face.  
  
Klos turned his head toward Raines. He was nearly unconscious from the loss of blood. "You would like that, wouldn't you?" Klos took a deep breath. "But I have a deal.that can save.your Gemini Succession Project."  
  
Raines narrowed his eyes. "How?"  
  
Klos took another deep breath. "The deal first. My life for your project."  
  
Raines thought for a moment. He motioned for one of the nurses to start the treatment they had been withholding. She put in an IV line and hung lactated ringers. Next she prepped him for a blood transfusion. "There. Now how do I save my project?"  
  
Klos looked at Raines with a sinister gleam. "When the doctors were running.their tests on Lily. they ran the standard fertility test.required by you." Klos tried to focus his thoughts as he felt medication start flowing through his body. "You have Lyle's.donation. All.you need.is her body."  
  
The light went on in Raines' mind and he knew what Klos was suggesting. "Use Lily's body as a vessel for the future of the Centre."  
  
The nurse injected something into the line to get him ready for surgery. "And if she does.wake up.it will be your.way of controlling.her." Klos dropped off into sleep.  
  
The orderly came in and wheeled Klos to surgery. Raines stood there and smiled. He picked up the phone on the wall. "Get me Dr. Randolph ." Raines waited a few moments. "Dr. Randolph, I want you to come to the surgical ward immediately." He waited for the doctor's reply. "I don't care if you're just getting settled in, get here now! I have a procedure I need you to perform." Raines slammed the phone down on its receiver and looked over at Lily. A sinister smile spread across his face.  
  
******************************  
  
After Jarod and Angelo had been crawling for a while, they stopped to get their bearings. Jarod brought out the plans he had and spread it out on the floor. He pointed at the spot in the specs. "We should be here if I'm not mistaken. We're under the part of the wing reserved for the dormitories."  
  
Angelo looked up. "Bobby is up there. Mad. Frustrated."  
  
Jarod studied the plans a few moments more and then stood up. Every so often down the corridor were metal cylinders that jutted down from the ceiling. He moved with the plans in his hand to one that was about ten feet away. "These hold some sort of chair device."  
  
Angelo, who had followed him, looked down at the ground. "The conditioning chair. Very bad...very bad." He sat down on the floor and rocked. "Hurt Timmy in the chair. Hurt Bobby in the chair." Angelo looked up at Jarod. "Hurt Lily in the chair."  
  
Jarod thought for a moment. "Angelo. These chairs come up in the middle of the living quarters?"  
  
Angelo smiled, as he understood what Jarod was thinking. "Can get to Bobby and then help Lily."  
  
Jarod shook his head. "Angelo. We can't trust Lyle."  
  
Angelo came up next to Jarod. "But we can trust Bobby. He wants to save Lily. Please." Angelo looked pleadingly at Jarod.  
  
Jarod debated with himself for a moment, then made up his mind. "I hope you are right. Can you sense which one leads to Lyle's room?"  
  
Angelo shook his head yes and the two rushed down the corridor. Angelo touched each cylinder. After fifteen minutes, Angelo stopped suddenly. He walked around the metal piece a few times and smiled. "Here."  
  
Jarod followed the power lines from the chair to the wall and found a junction box. He took out the tool kit her had in his pocket. He opened the junction box and studied the wiring. Then he went to the metal cylinder and found where there was a seam. With Angelo holding the piece, Jarod worked on the screws holding the front piece to the back. How he wished he had a power drill.  
  
He used all his strength to break the seals on the bolts. Finally all the bolts were removed and Jarod slowly removed the panel. He looked up into the cavity holding the chair. He moved to the electrical box again and started to rework the wiring. "Angelo. When I say so, cross these two wires. It should open the trap door and raise the chair. When I stomp on the floor, cross this wire with this one. OK?"  
  
Angelo shook his head no. "Jarod can't go. Too dangerous." In a flash Angelo used Jarod and climbed into the chair. "I'll get Bobby." He took his jamming device out of his jacket pocket.  
  
"Angelo. Get out of there." Jarod pleaded.  
  
Angelo shook his head no. "Not safe for you. Do it now." Angelo pointed to the box. Jarod turned and crossed the wires. The trap door opened and Angelo rose up.  
  
*************************  
  
Parker closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then breathed out. She opened them to see the remains of the chair scattered around her.  
  
"Feel better now?" Morris asked coming up next to her.  
  
Parker straightened herself out. "Yes. I do."  
  
"Good." Is all Morris said.  
  
Parker started down the hall again and ended at the training floor. She opened the door to see various people practicing their martial art moves. She wondered if this group could withstand an assault by the Centre. Or could they actually attack and overpower Raines' forces.  
  
She watched for a while, but her mind was with Jarod. Was he all right? Had Raines captured him? She hated herself for being so unfocused. She was so distracted that she didn't hear Becky come up behind her.  
  
"Miss Parker." Becky said touching Parker's shoulder.  
  
Parker jumped. "Don't ever do that to me again! If I had my 9mm, you would be dead where you stand."  
  
"Whatever." Becky waved her hand in the air. "Mr. Broots needs you. He had an episode and Joan had to sedate him."  
  
Parker looked at Becky with confusion. "Broots? Had an episode. Broots can't tie his shoes without having a nosebleed. How could he have been so bad that Stedman would have to sedate him?"  
  
"He was talking about leaving and saving Debbie. You know Joan won't let anyone else leave the facility and he was insistent. Actually tried to push physically past her." Becky hoped her little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone. "You need to get there right now."  
  
Parker motioned to one of the drill instructors. "I need to go for a few moments. Keep them practicing. Don't let up - I need them sharp. Real quick." Parker turned and headed toward the door. When she opened the door, she turned when she noticed Becky wasn't behind her. "Coming?" Parker said impatiently.  
  
"No. I have other matters to tend to." Becky said very solemnly.  
  
"Fine." Parker headed through the door intent on talking Stedman out of quarantining Broots.  
  
Becky waited till Parker left and then went out the door herself. She grabbed her coat that she had stashed in one of the closets and headed for the elevator. She pulled her phone out of her pocket. She dialed a number and waited for the ring to be answered.  
  
The ring was picked up. "Hello. Aviation."  
  
Becky smiled when she heard the voice. "Hello Captain Marcus. I need a HUGE favor." Within fifteen minutes Becky was on her way back to the Centre.  
  
****************************  
  
Determination drives the Player Faith drives the soul.  
  
With faith and determination  
  
Anything can happen. 


	67. Turning Points

Determination drives the Player Faith drives the soul.  
  
With faith and determination  
  
Anything can happen.  
  


* * *

  
Becky waited till Parker left and then went out the door herself. She grabbed her coat that she had stashed in one of the closets and headed for the elevator. She pulled her phone out of her pocket. She dialed a number and waited for the ring to be answered.  
  
The ring was picked up. "Hello. Aviation."  
  
Becky smiled when she heard the voice. "Hello Captain Marcus. I need a HUGE favor." Within fifteen minutes Becky was on her way back to the Centre. She looked out into the sky and imagined what it would feel like to be carefree and fly like a bird.  
  
"You're lucky I already had the plane fueled and ready." The man smiled as he looked over at Becky. He reached over the controls and nudged her a little. "You know this is going to get me in a lot of trouble." Captain Marcus said breaking Becky's daydream. "Dr. Stedman is going to be furious."  
  
Becky looked at the man and smiled. She got up from the co-pilot seat, reached over, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. The man blushed a little. "Thank you for doing this. I know Joan will be angry, but it's the only way I see a solution to the situation. I have to get the information to Jarod that Debbie is at the Centre. The young woman's life is at stake." Becky took a seat again. "And Mr. Broots was in no condition to go anywhere. Besides Joan wasn't about to let him leave the facility."  
  
Marcus smiled. "And you think she wanted you just walking out the front door and hopping a plane to Delaware?" He shook his head. "You're lucky I store my own private plane at Angel's Hope."  
  
"I know John. If this wasn't such an emergency, you know I never would have asked you..." Becky started to apologize, but Marcus cut her off.  
  
"Let's just say at the end of all this you owe me a dinner and dancing. All right?" He smiled a big grin.  
  
Now it was Becky's turn to blush. "Sounds fine to me." Becky laughed to herself. "Though I think Lily would have a problem with me making a date in the middle of her rescue attempt."  
  
"I think she would be happy to know that you care enough to go through all this and in the end get a date." He winked as Becky blushed again. "Why don't you go in the back and get some sleep? Sounds like you are going to have a long afternoon and night ahead of you."  
  
Becky shook her head no. "I don't think I could sleep right now. My stomach is in nervous knots."  
  
"Captain's orders. Or I'll turn this plane around right now." He tried to put a stern face on, but it turned out more like a pretend frown.  
  
"No. Please don't. All right – I'll go. But I'm going to make a complaint to the Aeronautics Society about the cruelty to flight passengers." She smiled and went to the back of the plane. There was a couch there that had some small fluffy pillows. She grabbed a pillow and laid herself down on the couch. After tossing back and forth for a while, she drifted off to sleep.  
  
Becky found herself standing in the Centre. Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind and was dragging her down a dark gray hallway. As she was being brought past the different rooms, she could hear children crying. Then in front of her Kelly appeared.  
  
"Kelly. What are you doing here?" Becky asked caught in the horrid nightmare.  
  
The little girl smiled. "I'm here to help you. Help you remember your life at the Centre."  
  


* * *

  
Major Charles, Ethan, Thomas, and Emily went back to Margaret's room. Margaret was asleep, so Ethan motioned for them to go to his room. He shut the door slightly once everyone was in.  
  
"This whole situation is a mess." Major Charles broke the silence. "Kidnapped children, diabolical surgeries, secret organizations – I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. Let alone Margaret. We've been running for so long." Charles sat himself down in the chair. Emily went and put her arm around him.  
  
"I know this is all frustrating, but we have to wade it out. The voices say we are to stay here. That we are safe here." Ethan tried to reassure his father.  
  
"How safe can we be with the Centre looking for us like escaped animals?" Thomas asked. "How safe was Lily? Or Jarod?"  
  
Ethan wasn't use to confrontation. He wasn't sure how to proceed. "I can't guarantee anything. All I know is that the voices have brought us together. The voices I believe are telling the truth. And I have to believe what is going on with Lily and Jarod is something that must happen. My mother wouldn't lead us in the wrong direction. I believe that she is also watching over Lily."  
  
"You have to have faith." Emily interjected from behind her father. "Mom always said that no matter what situation we were in."  
  
"You just have to have faith." Everyone turned to see Margaret standing at the doorway.  
  


* * *

  
Bobby took in a small gasp as he saw the door open and the chair rise. He got up off the bed and started to back up in anticipation that the door would open and the Sweepers to come after him. His anxiousness turned to shock as he saw Angelo come up with the chair. He was holding a little black box that he had clutched against his chest.  
  
Bobby came towards the chair "Angelo, get out of here. They're going to catch you."  
  
"You have to come. We have to save Lily." Angelo jumped out of the chair and pulled Bobby's arm so he was hitting up against the chair.  
  
"The cameras will pick you up. You're going to get captured. How is that going to save Lily?" Bobby was looking around nervously waiting for the Sweepers to come.  
  
"I fixed the cameras. Get on." Angelo pushed Bobby onto the chair. He pushed the control on the side that sent the chair down into the holding cylinder.  
  
Bobby grabbed onto the arms of the chair as it jerked into motion. He was looking up at the closing trap door when the chair came to a stop. He lowered his eyesight to find himself facing the barrel of a 9 mm. Jarod stood there holding the gun pointed at Bobby's face. "I know you have every reason to kill me, but you have a more important one not." Bobby began. "I want to help you save Lily."  
  
Jarod didn't lower the gun. "Why should I trust you?"  
  
Bobby pushed his hair back with his hand and shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know why you should trust me. I can't give you a single good reason except for one." Bobby looked right into Jarod's eyes. "I love her Jarod."  
  
Jarod backed up and lowered the gun. He felt like he had been punched in the gut. "What did you say?"  
  
Bobby got off the chair. "I am in love with Lily Jarod. And I'm not under one of Raines' mind warps. If anything..." He paced back and forth a little, and then turned to Jarod. "I'm free."  
  
"Free?" Jarod asked as he realized that Angelo was still stuck above. He moved toward the electrical lines turning his back on Lyle, trying to block Lyle out. He started rewiring and the trap door opened allowing the chair to ascend.  
  
"Yes. Free. I don't know how. If it was the medallion she gave me or what. I remember a time when I wasn't always angry. And I remember her. She was scared, frightened and I protected her. But the difference was she knew I was scared and frightened - she tried to protect me too. We were connected, we still are, we..."  
  
Jarod turned with fury in his eyes and grabbed Lyle. He pushed him up against the wall with his muscular arm across Lyle's throat. "I don't want to hear you talk about my sister. You leave her alone. Everything you touch is corrupted and destroyed. You can't love, you don't know the meaning of the word love...you just hate and kill and manipulate. I hate you!" Jarod brought his fist back, when he was grabbed from behind.  
  
"No. Jarod." Angelo held Jarod's arm firm.  
  
"You...can...do..." Bobby spit out between gasps of air. Jarod released his arm from Lyle's throat. Bobby took in a deep breath. "Whatever you want to me when this is over. But for right now let's just get Lily out of here."  
  
Angelo pushed Jarod back a little. "You need his help. She needs his help." Angelo looked pleadingly at Jarod.  
  
Jarod looked away from Angelo and glared at Lyle. It struck him then. He noticed something in watching Lyle. There was a difference to his demeanor. The cold cockiness was gone. The smoothness was gone. The 'I decide who lives or dies' was gone. His eyes said that he was concerned – not for himself, but Lily. He was telling the truth.  
  
Angelo sensed Jarod's uneasiness. "Bobby knows the plans to this floor. He will know where Lily is." They both looked at Lyle.  
  
Bobby had straightened himself out and had caught his breath. Rubbing his neck, he pointed his head down the corridor. "This way. She'll be in the medical wing."  
  
Reluctantly Jarod, then Angelo followed Bobby down the corridor.  
  


* * *

  
Dr. Stedman could hear the click, click, click of Parker's heels coming down the hallway. By the frequency of the click she knew that Parker was mad. The door flew open and Parker came in a huff through the door.  
  
"What the hell is going on? " Parker asked as she went over to Broots' bed. Broots was fast asleep in the bed.  
  
"Melissa calm down." Stedman started, but was cut off by Parker.  
  
"Stop calling me that. And I don't want to calm down. You sedate one of my people and I'm suppose to calm down?" Parker was working herself up to give a good lashing, when Stedman's words hit like whip.  
  
"It's not good for the baby for you to be this excited." Stedman had concern in her eyes.  
  
For that moment in time she had forgotten about the baby. She had heard about Broots and instinct had taken over. She took in a deep breath and let it out. "All right. I'll calm down. I guess that lovely doctor just had to race and tell you." Parker crossed her arms across her chest in a huff.  
  
"As Director of this facility it is Dr. Berez's duty to report any change in health status of my personnel to me." Stedman's face showed a little sign of hurt. "As your Godmother, I would have rather heard it from you."  
  
Parker held firm to her Ice Queen stance. "I wasn't ready to discuss it." Parker took a few steps away looking at the ceiling and then turned back to Stedman. "I haven't even told Jarod yet."  
  
The doctor nodded her head. "For once I agree with you. He has too much on his mind right now to be told such tremendous news." Stedman walked over to Parker and touched her arm. "Besides, it's not the type of news you want to tell someone over the phone. When he gets back and you're alone together, that will be the best time."  
  
Parker shook her head in disbelief and pulled her arm away. "Aren't you the least bit upset that all this happened right here? That Boy Genius and I were doing the horizontal mambo right here at your facility?" Parker was intentionally trying to start a fight.  
  
Stedman shook her head in disappointment. "You're not going to get the rise out of me like you're expecting. You and Jarod are adults. At least you were here...where the product of that consummation can't be used against you or Jarod. What if it was the outside world or the Centre? Here the child can be protected. I owe that to Catherine." Stedman paused for a moment. "And besides, do you think anything happens in this facility that I don't know about? I knew weeks ago what had happened - Lily told me the two of you were in the arboretum."  
  
"And you just assumed that we would...?" Parker started flatly.  
  
"Watching the two of you was like watching a ticking time bomb. You displayed the coolness, but I noticed the sideways glances. And you could just see in Jarod's eyes that he needed you. And you both needed something equally as important. The answers to the question both of you have had your whole lives. Who is there for me? Who can I trust? Who can I love?"  
  
Parker turned in frustration. "Don't play psychiatrist with me. I don't need your psychobabble. We were two people locked in a room with nothing else to do. It's just something that happened."  
  
Stedman came and stood in front of Parker. "Don't put those walls back up. When Jarod was here you were letting your defenses down. You were allowing him to love you and for you to be in love with him. The baby just solidifies that."  
  
"The baby complicates everything. For all I know Jarod is in Raines' hands and half the Centre is on its way here. So I have to protect this facility, the staff, Jarod's family, Broots..." Parker motioned toward the sleeping figure.  
  
"And the baby. Because you could never let Raines have your child. I know things are crazy right now and you're scared."  
  
"I am NOT scared. I don't get scared." Parker walked to the bottom of Broots' bed. "It is a luxury I can't afford."  
  
Stedman shook her head. "Everyone gets scared. It's just that certain people are better at masking it. Take Mr. Broots here. I know his insistence in leaving was motivated by his fear that Jarod does not know his daughter is at the Centre. His fear motivated him to try and leave."  
  
Parker shook her head. "I understand why he tried to leave – Debbie is everything to him. But to push you is not like him. But it's not going to matter when we all end up in Renewal Wing..."  
  
Stedman looked at Parker confused. "What do you mean he pushed me? Mr. Broots never got physical. We sedated him the minute he started to leave."  
  
Now Parker looked confused. "But Becky told me he pushed you and that's why I came here in the first place."  
  
A light went on and Stedman walked to the phone. "Please check to see where Becky's tracking device is located." The doctor waited a few moments and got her answer. "I'm going to kill her. Get a hold of his plane and patch it to my office." Stedman hung up the phone. She headed for the door.  
  
"What's going on?" Parker asked grabbing Stedman's arm and spinning her half way around.  
  
"Seems that Becky has taken up Mr. Broots' cause and is heading on a plane east. She got Captain Marcus to transport her on his private plane and according to the flight plan he filed he's heading for Delaware." Stedman closed her eyes and breathed out in frustration.  
  
"For the Centre. She's going to tell Jarod about Debbie. Good." Parker kept a stern face.  
  
"Good? Do you think Becky has any chance against Raines?" Stedman said with disgust.  
  
"No. I think she has the means to not get caught and is probably the best way to get to Jarod and Debbie. And I want Debbie rescued as much as I want Lily to be."  
  
"Agh – the group of you. You are all going to drive me to drink." Stedman left the room in a huff.  
  
Parker rubbed her stomach. "She's not in as much control as she would like. I guess I will have to protect you the only way I know how." Parker took a quick look at Broots and then went off to formulate her plan.  
  


* * *

  
Lily and Catherine stood next to her body. Lily could see the machines keeping the rhythm of her heartbeats. They were stronger now than before. "Why do you keep showing me these things Catherine? I'm ready to move on."  
  
Catherine shook her head. "You can't Lily. The place where you want to go is not ready for you."  
  
Lily looked at her body again. "I understand. Heaven isn't meant for murderers."  
  
Catherine smiled and came up next to Lily. "That's not the reason you can't go. You still have work to do. But you have to decide whether you are going to complete those tasks. You will have to be strong in order to endure the things that are about to happen."  
  
"Free will." Lily just stared straight ahead. "I have to want to stay? Here, like this?"  
  
At the door three figures entered the room. Catherine acknowledged their entrance. "You have got to want to live." Is all she answered as the men circled Lily's bed.  
  


* * *

  
Decisions made, Actions to be taken.  
  
The Game is compounded by both of these. Will the faithful Players survive?" 


	68. A Time to Run

Decisions made, Actions to be taken.  
  
The Game is compounded by both of these. Will the faithful Players survive?"  
  
***************************  
  
Lily and Catherine stood next to her body. Lily could see the machines keeping the rhythm of her heartbeats. They were stronger now than before. "Why do you keep showing me these things Catherine? I'm ready to move on."  
  
Catherine shook her head. "You can't Lily. The place where you want to go is not ready for you."  
  
Lily looked at her body again. "I understand. Heaven isn't meant for murderers."  
  
Catherine smiled and came up next to Lily. "That's not the reason you can't go. You still have work to do. But you have to decide whether you are going to complete those tasks. You will have to be strong in order to endure the things that are about to happen."  
  
"Free will." Lily just stared straight ahead. "I have to want to stay? Here, like this?"  
  
At the door three figures entered the room. Catherine acknowledged their entrance. "You have got to want to live." Is all she answered as the men circled Lily's bed.  
  
Lily smiled as Bobby came around to the side of her bed. He grabbed her hand. "Lily. Lily. Can you hear me?" He looked over at Jarod who had come up on the other side of the bed. Angelo went back to the door to keep a look out.  
  
Jarod delicately opened Lily's eyelid. "She's unresponsive, but her pupils are dilating. That's a good sign. The question is can we move her?"  
  
Bobby put down Lily's hand and went to the end of her gurney where the chart hung. He picked it up and started reading. "She hasn't been out of surgery and recovery that long." He continued to read on.  
  
"It could be dangerous to move her." Jarod started taking her pulse.  
  
"Oh no." Slipped out of Bobby's lips.  
  
Jarod looked over at Lyle quickly. "What's wrong Lyle?"  
  
"It will be more dangerous for her if we leave her here. We have got to get her out." Bobby started unhooking the IV from the pole and laid it next to Lily.  
  
Jarod came around the bed. "What did you read Lyle?" Jarod grabbed the chart from the bed where Lyle had laid it. He got almost to the end when he found what Lyle had seen. "He couldn't have done this? Not in the condition she is in."  
  
Bobby ran around to the other side of the bed and started unlocking the wheels of the gurney. "This is Raines we're talking about. That son of a bitch will do anything if it serves his purpose."  
  
Jarod felt sick to his stomach and furious at the same time. "I swear, when I get my hands on him..."  
  
Bobby stood across the bed from him and cut him off. "You'll have to wait in line. Parker and I have first dibs." Jarod could see the anger in Lyle's eyes. "But for right now we have to focus on getting this gurney through this place without all the Sweepers seeing us."  
  
Jarod nodded his head. "Agreed." Jarod thought for a moment. "Lyle. Isn't there a service elevator at the end of the medical corridor?"  
  
"Yes there is. At the end of this main hallway. But we'll have to look like we fit in." Bobby joined Angelo at the door. "I think this is where my expertise comes in handy." Bobby whispered as he spotted two orderlies coming down the hall. He pushed Angelo, then himself, up against the wall and waited for the two men to pass the doorway.  
  
Jarod, seeing what Lyle was going to do, joined the two men on the other side of the doorframe.  
  
The two men went to pass the door when Bobby grabbed one man and put him into a chokehold. Jarod punched the other, knocking him unconscious. As Bobby held the man until he passed out, Jarod dragged the other orderly into the room. Jarod undressed the man and then found a phone cord that he used to tie the man's hands and feet together. He grabbed surgical gauze and used it as a gag.  
  
Bobby's man fell into unconsciousness and was dragged next to the other man. Bobby undressed this man as well, then grabbed surgical tape and wrapped it around his hands and feet. Jarod proceeded to use the gauze again to make a gag. "All right." Bobby started putting his stolen clothing on over his own. "Let's get her out of here."  
  
******************************  
  
Becky could feel herself being pulled down the rest of the hallway and was thrown into a gray room. Kelly had followed her and was now standing in the room next to her. Becky looked around the dismal room. There was sparse furniture scattered around – a bed, dresser, and table.  
  
"I don't like it here." Becky said as she walked around the room. "I don't want to remember." She said as she turned back to Kelly.  
  
"If you don't get past your disgust now, you will be useless when you get to Jarod and Lily." Kelly responded not having much reaction to anything.  
  
Becky knelt down. "How are you doing this? I can only connect when I touch people or things, but the focus needed for this kind of link...." Becky's word stopped short as her locations changed. She was now in NuGenesis. There were technicians working feverishly in a lab.  
  
"Dr. Randolph says that Mr. Raines wants this next batch to be enhanced. The sequencing is here on the computer." The one technician went and typed something onto the computer.  
  
"What is he trying to accomplish with this group?" The other woman asked as she came to view the screen.  
  
"Advanced mental capabilities and kinetic output." The other responded.  
  
Suddenly Becky was back at the Centre kneeling back in front of Kelly. "They performed genetic sequencing."  
  
"They improved on a sequence they already had." Kelly replied.  
  
"The sequence that created Angelo and myself. So you are...stronger than I am. For the lack of a better word." Becky concluded.  
  
"All I know is that we were all created that way. All of us that lived at NuGenesis and those who left. That place is my nightmare, this place is yours." Kelly offered.  
  
Becky remembered having nightmares as a child. She would wake up screaming and the nannies would come in and tell her everything was all right. They would give her something to drink and then she would go back to sleep...or did she. A memory was starting to surface. She was at Angel's Hope lying on a table. There were people around her talking.  
  
"She had another nightmare. I sedated her and brought her straight here." A woman dressed in a white uniform informed the others in the room. As Becky looked around, she saw a nurse and Joan.  
  
"Poor thing." Joan had said as she approached Becky. "Let Dr. Martin know. He will run the memory procedure again. Hopefully we can get them so that we can erase all the nightmares. No child should have to remember what these two have gone through."  
  
Becky turned her head and she saw Lily on another gurney. Then in a flash the memory was gone. But others came flooding in. Her three years at the Centre came flooding in. "No...no..." Becky tried to push away the memories as she crawled to the corner of the room. "Stay away from me. I want my Mom and Dad!" She screamed at imaginary figures. She lay down on the floor. "I don't like your games Dr. Raines, please don't make me look at the pictures any more." She curled up into the fetal position with Kelly just still looking on. "I don't want to see any more simulations. They always turn out that people die."  
  
Becky started to cry because she now remembered what her purpose was at the Centre. She told them whether the results of the simulations all the others were doing would bring about the desired results. Hour after hour of seeing people hurt and killed by what the other children were formulating. She was the final check before a simulation was sold to a client.  
  
"I helped kill them..." She moaned in her sleep.  
  
Captain Marcus had come to the back to retrieve Becky and saw that the woman was having a horrible nightmare. He went over, knelt, and shook the woman gently. "Becky. Becky. Wake up. You're having a nightmare."  
  
The shaking pulled Becky into consciousness and she woke up with a start. She was disorientated for the moment. "Where am I?"  
  
Captain Marcus took her hands. "It's OK. You're on the plane with me, remember?" He looked into her sad eyes. "You were having one heck of a nightmare."  
  
Becky shook her head trying to clear the vision of the Centre out of her head. Then she remembered where she was. "Who's flying the plane?"  
  
Marcus smiled. "It's on auto pilot. Dr. Stedman is on the headset for you and boy is she ticked. Would you like to take it back here?" Becky nodded her head yes. "I'll transfer it to the phone right here." Marcus got up and went back to the cockpit.  
  
A few moments later the phone rang and Becky picked it up. "Hello." She answered in a very low, monotone voice.  
  
"Don't hello me young lady. What the hell do you think you're doing?" Stedman's obviously angry voice came through the receiver. "You turn that plane around right this minute!" She demanded.  
  
Becky took a deep breath. "No." She said not raising her tone.  
  
"No? I did not just hear you directly disobey me." Stedman was about to blow a gasket.  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me that I checked the simulations for accuracy at the Centre?" Becky stated bluntly. Becky could hear Joan make a short gasp. "You knew what I had done and you never said a word." Tears formed in her eyes. "I won't leave another child in that place. I'm not coming back."  
  
Stedman closed her eyes. She had gotten through this discussion with Lily, but she never thought she would be having it with Becky. She had shown no signs of wanting to remember. "It was for your own good. To help you grow into a healthy adult." She was silent for a moment. "What brought back your memory?"  
  
A tear rolled down Becky's cheek. "A little angel showed me the way." Becky refused to embellish any more. What Kelly had helped her to achieve was between them.  
  
"Be careful Becky. These people play for keeps. They will kill you without blinking an eye or worse - use you to hurt the ones you love." Stedman's voice trembled as she spoke. Memories of Jacob nipping just at the edge of her mind.  
  
Becky took a deep breath. "It won't come to that. I can feel it. But I'll be careful. I know how dangerous Raines can be." And now she could say that first hand. She remembered what kind of monster he was. A feeling that Becky couldn't explain came over her. "Get ready Joan. For whatever happens. Parker will be your ace. Play the hand. You can only come out the winner."  
  
"We'll be ready. Take care of yourself." Stedman's heart ached knowing what she was allowing to happen.  
  
Becky smiled. "I will. Bye Joan." Becky hung up the phone, a tear rolling down her cheek. This had made it official. She was no longer the sheltered pianist anymore. She was the person she had been bred to be - an oracle and a Pretender. Becky grabbed the bag she had brought on board with her. She pulled out her laptop and a CD, which she placed in the machine.  
  
Becky sat down on the couch and crossed her legs. She typed on the keyboard and the screen came to life. Lily appeared on the screen dressed in her training uniform. "All right class. Today we will be studying martial arts. Take your offensive stance ...." Becky analyzed every move Lily made.  
  
**************************  
  
Bobby took lead and Jarod took rear pushing Lily quickly down the hallway. They had draped a sheet over Lily so that she looked like a corpse being wheeled to the morgue. Somehow both men knew that the transportation of dead bodies was a regular occurrence here and no one would pay much attention. Bobby kept his head tucked as so no one could completely see his face. Angelo had gone ahead and was warning the two if anyone approached.  
  
Angelo ducked into a room as several nurses walked by and smiled at Jarod. Who returned their acknowledgement with a bow of his head as to seem friendly enough. Angelo poked his head out and resumed his sentry duty.  
  
The threesome finally reached their destination. The elevator doors stood closed in front of them. Bobby turned and pushed the button. Within seconds the elevator opened and two Sweepers came walking out. Jarod and Bobby both turned away so that the Sweepers would not get a good look at either of their faces. Angelo had ducked under the gurney and was hidden by the sheet that covered Lily.  
  
One Sweeper looked over at the gurney. With a light chuckle he said to the other man. "Glad I didn't have that maze duty. Heard that little lady kicked all their assess."  
  
The other one nodded and both men continued on their journey down the hall. Bobby had held the door open with his body as the two Sweepers had been passing and now Jarod maneuvered the gurney into the elevator car. "It always appalls me that everyone here takes death as an everyday event. How do you all sleep with yourselves at night?" Jarod asked to the open air, but directed it towards Lyle.  
  
Bobby just kept looking forward as Jarod maneuvered himself into the elevator. "Who says we sleep?"  
  
Jarod's head turned sharply toward Lyle. It had never occurred to him that Lyle's existence could any way mirror his own. But obviously even the devil can be plagued by his own demons. Or were there other darker forces that were bigger than Lyle haunting his dreams. I'm sure only Lyle and that shed in Nebraska knew.  
  
Jarod made room for Angelo to come in, when Angelo stopped on the other side of the door. "Come on Angelo." Jarod stated. "We've been lucky so far, but...."  
  
"Can't come Jarod." Angelo said sadly. "She's running out of time." Angelo motioned to Lily. "Take her to the safe spot where I found and brought you. Wait for the right time. Bobby will know when. I'm going to distract them." Angelo threw the camera-looping device to Bobby. "You'll need this." With that, Angelo removed the foot he had been holding the door open with and allowed the elevator doors to close.  
  
"Angelo, no!" Jarod yelled through the closed doors. He tried to reach over to press the 'Door Open' button, but Lyle stopped him.  
  
"Jarod don't. Let him go." Bobby removed his hand and pushed the button for sublevel 28. "He knows what he is doing. Angelo hasn't been wrong once in that last couple of weeks." Bobby could tell that Jarod was leery of listening to him. "The voices are saying we have to get Lily to safety. My Mother is saying that we have to move now."  
  
Jarod had never felt so indecisive in his life before. But he trusted Angelo and he had said to get her out of there. So Jarod withdrew his hand. "All right. We have to get her to the other side of the maze. I was at the exit door when Angelo found me. There is a door in the ceiling that leads to a crawl space where Angelo and I hid."  
  
The elevator door opened and Jarod swung the gurney so that Bobby could maneuver the jamming device out of the elevator door. Once the camera was put into a loop, they pushed the gurney out. "The exit to the maze is down that way." Bobby remembered from when he and Lily had observed the maze from SL-27. He motioned down the hallway.  
  
After fifteen minutes of slowly moving down the hallways and jamming the surveillance system, they found the small door that Jarod had remembered. "Here." Jarod pointed to the ceiling.  
  
Bobby looked up. "How are we going to get her up there?"  
  
Jarod had pulled the sheet down and was wrapping Lily and her medical supplies in it. "Very carefully. You go up and I will hand her to you."  
  
Bobby climbed up the rings and pushed the door open. After taking several moments to survey that everything was clear, he finished his ascent into the hole in the ceiling. He placed the jamming device next to him and then positioned himself so that he could receive Lily. "All clear. Hand her up."  
  
Jarod steadied Lily against himself as he used the remainder of his arms to pull himself up the rings. Bobby grabbed her under her arms and gently lifted her up through the doorway with Jarod's assistance by holding her legs. Bobby gently brought her away from the door and sat down up against the wall. Lily was cradled in his arms. Bobby arranged it so that the IV hung from a bolt in a pipe above them. He rocked her back and forth moving her hair from her face.  
  
It was the first time that Bobby had gotten a good look at her. Lily's face was black and blue, as well as her arms. The fight in the maze coupled with the multiple IV lines she had had left her body riddled with bruise marks everywhere. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to fight with you." A single tear ran down Bobby's cheek.  
  
Jarod had disposed of the gurney in one of the closets when the alarm began to ring. His heart began to beat faster as he realized that the Centre personnel had discovered that either Lyle or Lily was missing. He quickly climbed the rings, jumped up through the hole in the ceiling, and closed the door. He waited a few moments to see if anyone was coming down the hallway. When no one came, he finally turned around. His heart jumped into his throat as he saw Lyle holding Lily.  
  
His first instinct was to run and grab his sister from the maniacal man who had killed their brother. Jarod's hesitation brought realization. Lyle had not even noticed that Jarod had joined them in the crawlspace. He was too busy looking down at Lily and tending to her. He stroked her hair, was rocking her, and telling her everything would be all right. That he and Jarod would protect her.  
  
Jarod slid down the wall and watched...and waited. He hoped that whatever sign Angelo said would tell them it was all right to leave would happen quickly. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stomach watching Lyle holding his sister. Jarod leaned his head against the wall, closed his eyes, and thought of the one good thing in his life. He whispered into the darkness..."Parker."  
  
****************************  
  
The Scales of Life and Death Hang in a balance.  
  
The simplest thing can overturn them. Can the Players keep their balance? 


	69. Truth in the Dark

The Scales of Life and Death Hang in a balance.  
  
The simplest thing can overturn them. Can the Players keep their balance?  
  
***************************  
  
Jarod slid down the wall and watched...and waited. He hoped that whatever sign Angelo said would tell them it was all right to leave would happen quickly. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stomach watching Lyle holding his sister. Jarod leaned his head against the wall, closed his eyes, and thought of the one good thing in his life. He whispered into the darkness... "Parker."  
  
Bobby, having heard Jarod utter his sister's name, looked up from Lily. "So I'm not the only one hooked. Parker is the kind of person that gets under your skin. Like Lily." Jarod's eyes bore into Lyle. "It's about damned time you two got together."  
  
Jarod's anger turned into confusion. "What?"  
  
Bobby snickered. "Anyone with an ounce of brain could see that the two of you worked too hard at antagonizing each other. I thought for sure it would have happened in Morocco, but then 'Dad' was there and..." Hurt poured all over his face.  
  
Jarod bent up his knee and hit his head on it. The memory of Parker and him in that car at the airport stung like alcohol in an open wound. He spoke directly to his knee. "My relationship with Parker is not up for discussion. And if I remember correctly – you were standing right there next to Mr. Parker. She was backed into a corner."  
  
Bobby looked over at Jarod. "I didn't mean just him. I meant Raines too. The two pivotal forces in our lives. The currents that swept Parker and I away from the time we were born." Bobby closed his eyes trying to keep his anger in check. Lily moaned in his arms as if she could feel his anger. Bobby looked back down at Lily and gently stroked her hair. "Ssshhhh. I'm sorry. No more thoughts of Lyle – that's what I promised." Lily stopped and lay contently in Bobby's arms again. "They destroyed both our lives."  
  
Jarod looked up. "They destroyed all our lives. My family, your family, Angelo's family and from what I saw at NuGenesis – countless other families. But don't ever make it sound like you weren't a part of it Lyle. You were neck deep in it and enjoying every minute. Those jumper cables didn't just jump into your hands." Fire showed in Jarod's eyes again as the memory of the electricity flowing through his body fueled his anger.  
  
Bobby looked to the heavens as if searching for his mother, and then he looked at Jarod. "What do you want me to say Jarod? I'm sorry? We both know that we're far beyond apologies. We've loathed each other for so long I'm not even sure we could ever be civil to each other." Lily moaned again. Bobby looked at Lily lovingly. "But for her sake, I am willing to try." He looked back up at Jarod. "We have got to get her out of here Jarod and we can only do that together."  
  
"I am beyond loath Lyle. You killed my brother and because of you look at what condition Lily is in. You destroy everything you touch. You expect me to just throw it aside and work with you...." Bobby broke in on Jarod.  
  
"You're blaming me for Lily's condition? I tried to put her back in that chair. I tried to undo what Raines had done to her. I could have just pretended to be ole Lyle and walked right out of here and not look back. But I didn't. You know why? Because I didn't want her to destroy the life she had created for herself by becoming what I had. By letting Raines change her and destroy everything that was good and caring about her." Bobby brought Lily closer to him. "Raines tortured me for years. Constantly whispering in my ear that I decided who lived or died." Bobby looked off in deep thought. Jarod sat and listened. "Locked me away till he gave me to the Bowman's. Followed me to Nebraska. Coached them. Had Bowman lock me in that shed. The funny thing is that I felt safe in that shed. None of them could get to me when I was in there." A sadness that Bobby had never felt before came over him. "I built one here you know. In my apartment. A place where I could hide away from Raines..."  
  
"A place where you tortured women." Jarod added.  
  
"I'm not proud of what I have done Jarod. It's just how the damn story goes." Bobby looked back down at Lily with tears in his eyes.  
  
Jarod whipped his head at the words he had heard come once from Parker. "Parker said the same thing to me in Morocco. How did you know what she said? Was the car bugged?" Jarod got up and approached Lyle. He grabbed the man by his arms. "What else did you hear?"  
  
Bobby looked up alarmed. "I wasn't listening in on your conversation. It's just something that came out..." Bobby thought for a moment. "When Lily came out of that chair, she started spouting Raines. That's got to be the answer if Parker and I said the same thing. It's got to be something that Raines implanted. With this chip in my head, who knows how long he's been feeding this stuff in." Bobby could see the anger permeating from Jarod. "I swear Jarod. I don't know what happened in that car between you and Parker..." Jarod's grip drew tighter. In that moment it looked like Jarod was going to hit Lyle, when Lily moaned.  
  
It was barely audible, but the words. "Help me...." Seemed to slip out in a whisper.  
  
"Did you hear that?" Bobby asked hoping that Lily would say something more.  
  
Jarod let go of Lyle and gently lifted Lily's eyelids. He then took her pulse.  
  
"Is she regaining consciousness?" Bobby asked relieved that Lily might be waking up.  
  
Jarod shook his head. "Her pupils are still dilated. I think she was just muttering in her sleep."  
  
Lyle looked back down at her. "Then there is a possibility of no brain damage." Bobby found new hope. "Maybe she senses our fighting. Truce?" Bobby looked up at Jarod.  
  
Jarod looked at Lily and then Lyle. "Agreed. For her sake and that's all." He went back by the door so he could monitor any movement below. Jarod found himself glancing at Lily and Lyle. Lyle had mentioned about himself having a chip, but he didn't say anything about Parker. He didn't know that Parker had one too. He wondered how much time had Lyle spent in that chair or a similar version of it through the years. And did that mean Parker had to. How he wished she was there to help him figure all this out.  
  
Jarod had a lot to digest. Lyle had just bared his soul and Jarod wasn't sure if he wanted to know. Or if he cared. He hated that little part of himself who always wanted to see the good in people. "Come on Angelo - where's that sign?" Jarod leaned up against the wall, exhaled, and waited.  
  
************************  
  
Becky buckled in next to Captain Marcus. They were beginning their descent into the airport runway. Becky looked out into the sunset and wished she could be home painting instead of going on a combat mission. Home – a word that can bring about the thoughts of unbridled happiness, but in this case relentless agony.  
  
The Centre had been her home once. She remembered the gray walls that made the place look cold and sinister. No one ever smiled there. It was like the life force was literally sucked out of any human being brought there. The visions she had received there were dark and agonizing. There had been times when she had hid under her bed and refused to come out. The – what had Jarod called them – yes the Sweepers would grab the bed and pull it away to get to her. And always that face was there. The man with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Dr. Raines.  
  
The plane hit the tarmac and with a jolt pulled Becky out of her memories. It was no wonder that Joan thought it best for them to forget. But Lily was right to. A person is a sum of all the experiences in their life. Maybe the answer was that both of them were correct.  
  
Captain Marcus smiled at Becky. "You ready to go?" He brought the plane at a stop by a small hanger. "This is where I will wait for you." Marcus dug next to his seat and pulled up a backpack type bag. "I thought that you would need some supplies. There's a flashlight, water, basic survival stuff. The van outside took Jarod to his drop off destination, so they'll bring you there to."  
  
Becky half smiled back as she took her present. "Thank you. For everything. Survival gear huh? I think I'm going to need it." She chuckled a little, then leaned over and gave the handsome man a kiss on the lips. "To keep me going till our date when I get back." Becky went to the back of the plane to exit out the side door.  
  
Marcus followed her. "Becky." He grabbed her hand before she could push the door open. He pulled her into him and gave her a deeper kiss. When the two separated, Marcus gently grabbed her chin. "Something to remind you to keep safe and come back to me."  
  
Becky blushed a little. "I will. You just be ready to get us all out of here."  
  
Marcus acknowledged yes as he opened the door and lowered the stairs for Becky. The van was waiting there with the side door open. Becky turned and waved at Captain Marcus, then proceeded to get in the van. She closed the door with a clunk as the door locked into place. The two drivers were men that Becky recognized from Angel's Hope. "Bring me to the Centre." Is all Becky said as she sat back and waited for her nightmare world to unfold.  
  
****************************  
  
Angelo had taken various gurneys and pushed them to all levels of the Centre. Soon after, as he was pushing the last gurney on level 2, the alarms had begun to ring. He retreated to the nearest air conditioning vent and slipped into the duct system. His normal mode of traveling from floor to floor when he didn't want anyone to find him.  
  
He tried to make it to Sydney's office, but by the time he had gotten there the Sweepers were all over the place. He had backed into the shaft again and moved to SL-22. This floor was mostly used as storage. He would be able to sit for a while here. Sit and wait for the person he knew was coming. Someone who could help them get Lily out of the Centre.  
  
Angelo pulled the medallion out of his pocket that had once been owned by Lily. He played with it in his fingers, looking at the shiny medal glistening in the little light that was coming in through the vent grate he sat in front of. He closed his fingers around it and returned it to his pocket. He had to keep it safe. It was going to be needed soon.  
  
Angelo sat back and pulled his Cracker Jacks from his pocket. He poured a handful out and ate the delicious caramel corn. After downing another handful, he curled up in a ball and closed his eyes. He needed to rest. He would be needed soon. So Angelo fell into an unsound sleep.  
  
******************************  
  
Raines was quickly walking up the hall. Papers swinging in one hand and his oxygen tank being dragged with the other. He was yelling as loud as his damaged lungs would allow. "What do you mean she is missing? She just had brain surgery and was in a coma. Do you think that she just got up and walked away?"  
  
The Sweepers had been running all over the level. Willie came up in front of Raines. "Mr. Raines. I also have to report that Mr. Lyle is missing."  
  
Raines growled. "I should have known. How did he get out of his room and how did he get into this wing?"  
  
The other Sweeper looked nervously around. Willie took in a deep breath and then told Raines what the others wouldn't. "In my absence Sir, security became a little...shall we say lax. No one thought that a comatose woman needed much guarding. And they also assumed that Mr. Lyle was being detained and posed no threat."  
  
Raines turned from Willie and gave a death glare to the Sweeper team. "Did it ever occur to any of you that there are other people who would want to liberate this woman from this facility?" Raines' voice raised as he spoke. "Do I have a bunch of idiots working for me?" Raines turned back to Willie. "Find them."  
  
"Yes Sir." Willie answered. He waved his team off. He went to follow when Raines pulled him back by his arm. "After they search the facility and find Lyle and Lily, I want them reprimanded. Permanently. Am I understood?"  
  
Willie kept his straight face. "Yes Sir. Understood." Willie went to walk down the hall, when Raines called after having a second thought.  
  
"And keep an eye open for Angelo. He has got to be involved with this too." Willie acknowledged his orders and took off. Raines walked the rest of the hallway and ended at Lily's room. He looked around the room. There had been a scuffle. Had Lyle found his way back to his programming and taken out his anger on the two guards? Was Angelo helping him? He walked around the room till he reached an instrument tray that was standing off to the side. Raines shook his head and then in a fit of anger sent the tray flying across the room. He stormed out of the room and headed for his office.  
  
***************************  
  
The van stopped in front of woods. Larry turned in his seat. "This is where we dropped him off Becky. But beyond here, we don't know how he got in."  
  
Becky looked out the window and shook her head. "It's all right. I have my own way of finding the route in. Just keep your eyes open for whatever signal Jarod was suppose to send you."  
  
Larry got out of the van and came around and opened the door. "Will do. Good luck. Be careful – there are Sweepers everywhere. We've noticed an upgrade in activity."  
  
"Thank you. I can only hope that is a sign that Jarod has Lily and just needs help getting her out. Be careful yourselves." Becky headed off into the woods. She had no idea where she was going. But she knew one thing – Jarod had been through here and that meant she should be able to pick up on his path. Becky walked a few yards when she touched a tree and was thrown into a vision. She could see Jarod running through the woods. He was wearing what looked like prison garb and his hair was cut as if someone had used a bowl. Panic started to fill her as she could hear the sound of men and dogs in the distance. Becky let go of the tree to keep the panic from filling her and turned to her left. He had been running from that direction. She knew she was now on the path that Jarod had taken when he escaped from the Centre.  
  
At the end of the trees was an open field. She could see the outline of the Centre in the distance. "So where do I go now Jarod?" She was afraid to step out of the cover of the trees, but knew that if she were going to help Lily she needed to chance it. Becky stepped out into the field and another vision hit.  
  
Jarod was crossing the field. He was dressed, as he had been when he left Angel's Hope. He approached some sort of service access opening. He lifted the metal lid and crawled inside. The flash ended and Becky looked out into the field. A short distance away it looked like there was a metal cylinder sticking up out of the ground. Becky looked both ways and seeing no one, quickly ran to the access port.  
  
The lid looked old and rusted. She pulled on the wheel to open the door and after a few minutes of fussing with the squeaking got the lock to release. Becky pulled the lid open with a long hinge squeal that seemed that everyone within a nine-mile radius would be able to hear. "Sssssshhhh." Becky found herself saying to the old door.  
  
She sat on the rim of the structure and brought her legs over. After feeling around with her foot for a few minutes, she found the rungs that led down into the dark abyss. Becky's heart raced as she pulled herself down into the hole and closed the lid securely. She pulled the backpack around and pulled the flashlight from it.  
  
The passageway below was very dark with a scattering of light here and there. Obviously no on had been in this tunnel for years. Large pipes hung overhead and led down a long passageway that disappeared in the dark distance. As soon as she came off the last rung, Becky tried to feel Angelo. After a few minutes, she headed down the passageway. "Where are you?" She whispered into the open air.  
  
Becky seemed to wander for what felt like hours. Trying passageway to passageway, touching the walls to determine Jarod's path. She felt like giving up, when she felt like she was being watched. "Who's there?" She said into the darkness. She looked all around, but saw no one. "Are you going crazy Becky? Making yourself believe that there are monsters in the dark." She was about to head on, when she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Sister." Angelo said from his hiding place on the SL-22  
  
Becky spun all around. "Where are you Angelo?" She looked all around her.  
  
Angelo smiled. "SL-22. We're close now. Can hear you much better. We have to hurry. Jarod and Bobby hiding Lily. Everyone looking for them."  
  
"What do I have to do?" Becky asked.  
  
"Find the end of the tunnel. A box is there. Shut it off." Angelo said trying to see where his sister was.  
  
"A box?" Becky questioned as she quickly walked down the rest of the passageway. Like Angelo had said, at a junction was a series of electrical boxes which hung on the wall. "Bingo." Becky opened the first box and started flipping all the switches. As she continued to flip switch after switch, the Centre was plunged into total darkness.  
  
****************************  
  
The Darkness of the Game Depends on how enlightened the Players are.  
  
Will they be able to overcome differences? To achieve their ultimate goals. 


	70. Into the Darkness

The Darkness of the Game Depends on how enlightened the Players are.  
  
Will they be able to overcome differences? To achieve their ultimate goals.  
  
***************************  
  
"Find the end of the tunnel. A box is there. Shut it off." Angelo said trying to see where his sister was.  
  
"A box?" Becky questioned as she quickly walked down the rest of the passageway. Like Angelo had said, at a junction was a series of electrical boxes which hung on the wall. "Bingo." Becky opened the first box and started flipping all the switches. As she continued to flip switch after switch, the Centre was plunged into total darkness.  
  
Angelo watched as every light and emergency light went out on SL-22. He smiled in triumph.  
  
Bobby jumped. The voices were at a frenzied volume. "Wait. Wait. I don't understand."  
  
Jarod looked over at Lyle. "What don't you understand Lyle?"  
  
"The voices - they're crazed. Screaming in my head." He looked all around him. "Stop it. I can't understand you."  
  
Jarod got up and approached Lyle who was still on the floor cradling Lily. "I think it's about to begin. It's all right Lyle. Ethan started out this way. Try to concentrate on your mother's voice."  
  
"Easier said than done." Bobby said as he closed his eyes and tried to filter the voices. Soon one voice started to become more predominate.  
  
Suddenly the little light that their area had turned off. Jarod looked frantically around. The electricity had been turned off. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. Jarod's first reaction was to fight, when Bobby put his hands up.  
  
"Stop. It's only me." Bobby had laid Lily down and was now standing next to Jarod. "This is it. The electrical boxes have been shut off. No lights, no cameras...no security equipment. Let's get her out of here." Bobby returned to Lily and gently lifted her.  
  
Jarod went and slowly opened the door. He looked down into the dark abyss. He listened intently for any sound of movement.  
  
Bobby came up behind Jarod carrying Lily. Jarod climbed down through the hole and went part way down the rungs. "Hand her down Lyle."  
  
Bobby kneeled next to the door and lowered Lily's legs through the hole. He then slowly followed with her torso, making sure not to disrupt the intravenous that was in her arm. He had folded them neatly across her belly in an X.  
  
Jarod grabbed her legs and then as Lily came fully down through the door he held her like a baby. "Hold on Lily. Just a little bit longer."  
  
Bobby climbed down the rungs. "Let me have her." He stated approaching Jarod with his arms out.  
  
"Back off." Jarod bit back pulling Lily closer to him and backing up into the hall. "This is where we part company Lyle."  
  
Bobby let out a frustrated huff. "Listen Boy Genius . This place is in complete darkness. Even the secondary emergency light system is down. That means you will be fumbling around in the dark. Carrying Lily and trying to make your way out. Let me carry her and you lead the way."  
  
"I don't trust you Lyle. If I let you come now; you will know how I get in and out of the Centre. No one knows, but me, how I do that." Jarod bantered back.  
  
Lyle held his head trying to keep the migraine out that was forming. "All I want to do is get the two of you out of here. Then you disappear and then I disappear. Take her back to this Angel's Hope group where they can take care of her."  
  
"And then what do you do Lyle? Go back to being the good Centre employee?" Jarod's anger whipped with every word he spoke.  
  
"No." Lyle spit back. "I try to find someone in this damn world that can remove this chip out of my head so I can keep from getting caught and brought back here."  
  
Jarod looked down the darkened hallway. His mind raced. Logically he knew Lyle was right. That he would make less time trying to stumble in the dark carrying Lily than directing Lyle where to go. But would they be able to track the chip? Or was the chip Lyle's way of telling them where he was.  
  
"Please Jarod. We won't have much time. The circuitry for the power is down here in the sublevels." Bobby looked at Jarod pleadingly.  
  
Then the light went on in Jarod's mind. "I know where Becky is." He hesitated for a moment and then handed Lily over to Lyle. "You double cross me Lyle and I will kill you with my bare hands."  
  
Bobby cradled Lily against his chest as Jarod arranged the medical tubing. "Understood. Let's go." Jarod and Bobby quickly started walking toward the underground system tunnels.  
  
*****************************  
  
Parker sat next to Broots' bed reading a book that Dr. Berez had given her - What to Expect When You Are Expecting. She had spent most of the afternoon training Omega Team. When she had started to get dizzy, she knew that she had been pushing all afternoon without having eaten hardly anything all day.  
  
Dr. Berez had caught her in the hallway and berated her about taking care of herself and the baby, shoving the book at her and telling her to read. So she decided to wait for Broots to wake up, while looking through the manual for the insane, so that she could eat with him.  
  
Broots started to stir. Parker slipped the book into the bag she had brought. She was not ready to let Broots know she was expecting a little baby genius. Parker got up and stood next to Broots' bed. "Broots."  
  
Broots slowly opened his eyes and blinked as he tried to focus. "Miss Parker?" He blinked his eyelids several times trying to come back to consciousness.  
  
"Right here." Parker touched Broots' good shoulder as she watched him pull against the restraints that now shackled his wrists and ankles.  
  
"What's going on Miss Parker? Why am I..." Broots tugged at his restraints. "Locked down?"  
  
"Dr. Stedman was over reacting. Becky left without her knowing and we haven't heard a word from Jarod since he left. She's afraid. I can sense it. There's fear in the air. She puts up a good front though."  
  
"Like someone else I know." Broots said looking up at Parker.  
  
Parker smiled and put on a regal air. "I have no idea who you are talking about."  
  
Broots cracked a small smile, but then became very sullen. "So if you haven't heard from Jarod, then the Centre still has Debbie."  
  
Parker took in a deep breath. "As far as I know Broots. Becky left here earlier today to go to the Centre to find Jarod. So she could tell him about Debbie."  
  
"That nice woman with the blonde curly hair? She didn't look like much of an agent." Broots had concern written all over his face.  
  
Parker let out a sigh. "No she isn't. But she's special - like Angelo. But sharper. She'll be able to find Jarod and know if anyone has spotted her. It's not like she gave us a choice either. She left on her own. After she heard your plea to Dr. Stedman."  
  
"I'll have to thank her when all this is over. If we don't end up in Renewal Wing." Broots bowed his head at the thought of Raines messing around in his brain nauseated him.  
  
"I know Broots. I have an alternate plan if the Centre attacks here. You and I will definitely get out of this place in one piece. And then we'll get Debbie. If it's the last thing I do. I swear Broots." Parker walked a little away from the bed as her words were like putting a nail in Jarod's coffin.  
  
"I know that you have done and will do everything in your power to make sure Debbie is safe. I really appreciate that. Always have." Broots said batting back the tears that were forming in his eyes.  
  
Parker shook off the feeling of doom. "You hungry? I've been waiting for you to wake up so that we could have something."  
  
Broots shook his head no. "I'm not very hungry."  
  
"Me either." But the light headiness she was feeling told her she had to. "But I think we need to anyway. To keep our strength up. I'll have the kitchen bring something down." Parker walked over to the phone.  
  
"You've become very comfortable here." Broots said as he watched her order their meal without even an opposing word from the other end.  
  
Parker hung up the phone. "Maybe too comfortable. But this place is my Mother's legacy and I won't let it fall into Raines' hands. If I have to kill the ghoul myself."  
  
"So what do we do now Miss Parker?" Broots asked looking at Parker.  
  
"As much as I hate to say it. We wait." Parker said as she looked off. "And see."  
  
*****************************  
  
The door to the room was being pried open. Two maintenance men pushed the doors back far enough for a person to pass. Raines entered as he pulled his air tank behind him into room. He swung the beam from the flashlight he was carrying around the room. Debbie lay on the bed in a semi-conscious state as the intravenous dripped into her arm. The monitors around her were silent. As were the two Sweepers and Assistant that followed Raines.  
  
"Well they haven't made it this far." Raines stopped beside Debbie's bed. "Bracken," Raines turned to his assistant. The assistant immediately came to Raines' side. "Check her vitals. With the machines down, we'll have to do everything manually. I want them checked every hour. Make sure the intravenous is on a continuous trip. We wouldn't want her waking up while..." Raines turned toward the maintenance men and yelled. "THE POWER WAS OFF."  
  
The maintenance men jumped and then mumbled something about going to help the others find out what the problem was.  
  
The assistant finished with the vitals. "Vitals are normal Sir." The man reported.  
  
"Good. Stay here with her. Mr. Brandon will remain here with you to guard the girl. Whoever took Lily - whether it was Lyle or someone else - may still be looking to take Miss Broots as well. You will stop them at all costs, won't you Mr. Brandon?"  
  
"Yes Sir." The perfectly suited man replied. "She will never leave my sight."  
  
Raines growled as he left the room. "I've heard that before." He muttered as he headed with his flashlight to the boy's room."  
  
***************************  
  
Jarod ran his hand along the wall while tracing the path to their exit in his mind. Bobby squinted in the darkness trying to keep track of where Jarod was. He knew that they had made their way far under the Centre. They were in tunnels that Bobby didn't even know existed.  
  
Jarod turned a corner and stopped dead. Bobby knocked into him almost dropping Lily. "What the hell..." Bobby started to say when Jarod threw his hands up in the air. Bobby looked past Jarod to see the barrel of a gun pointing at them from out of the darkness.  
  
"Stop right there." A voice said from behind the gun.  
  
"Becky?" Jarod asked cautiously into the dark.  
  
A flash of light blinded both Jarod and Bobby for a moment. "Jarod. Thank God." The light beam swung away and through the spots the men saw Becky standing there. "Oh my. Lily." Becky went over to her injured friend. "What happened to her after the maze fight?"  
  
Jarod looked inquisitively at Becky. "It's good to see you. How did you know about the maze?" Then Jarod thought for a moment. "Forget that. What are you doing here? You're suppose to be at Angel's Hope."  
  
"I had to come Jarod." Becky cut herself off when she realized that it was Lyle holding Lily.  
  
Jarod noticed Becky's sudden change. "It's all right Becky. He already knows about Angel's Hope from Lily, so you might as well tell me why you are here."  
  
Becky looked suspiciously at Lyle and then looked back to Jarod. "Thomas and Mr. Broots hacked into the Centre mainframe. They saw everything that happened with Lily. But they also found out that Debbie Broots is in one of the rooms on SL-27."  
  
"Debbie's here?" Jarod looked all around as he ran his hand through his hair. "Damn." It only took him two seconds to figure out what he was going to do. "Becky. Take Lyle and Lily and get out of here. I'm going back for Debbie."  
  
Jarod went to move around the corner, when Bobby blocked his path. "No you're not Jarod."  
  
Jarod's stun face turned to anger. "I knew it. You double crossing son of a ..." Jarod never got to finish his sentence as Bobby transferred Lily to him.  
  
"I'll go. You get her back to Angel's Hope." Bobby finished transferring the IV bag over.  
  
Jarod was shaking his head no. "Lyle. I can't let you go back up there. I have to get her."  
  
Bobby countered. "Who says? It's the logical thing to do Jarod. You need to get your sister out of here. You need to get both of you out of here. Raines wants both of you like a starved man wants a buffet." Bobby took a long look at Lily. "You are the most qualified person to get Lily out of here. If she has a medical emergency, then you can just slip into one of your personas...become Mr. Doctor or Mr. Medic." Bobby looked at Jarod's angered face. "Jarod for once in your life trust me!"  
  
Becky decided to take things into her own hands - literally. She grabbed Lyle's arm and was shot with vision after vision of what he had been through. She let go of his arm and staggered backwards trying to catch her breath. "I'm so sorry..." She turned to Jarod. "You can trust him Jarod. He wants to help, really!"  
  
"I don't know..." Jarod felt torn. He looked down at Lily.  
  
"Jarod. When I was seven years old Lily crawled down an airshaft and left me behind, to be dragged off by Sweepers. And I let her go. But, I'm not willing to let Debbie Broots suffer my fate." Bobby's face grimmaced at the thought of what Raines had done to him. "You know I'm right."  
  
Jarod shook his head. He hated being put between a rock and a hard place. He looked at Becky who shrugged her shoulder. "Fine. I'm getting Lily and Becky to the transport and then I am coming back to help you get Debbie out."  
  
Bobby knew what would be happening in the near future. "Agreed." Bobby nodded toward Lily. "Now get her out of here. Keep her safe." Bobby turned to go back the way they came.  
  
"Lyle!" Jarod yelled at the departing man. Bobby turned around. "Becky grab the gun from my back band." Becky grabbed the gun from Jarod's back barely touching it with her fingertips. She brought it over to Bobby. "Be careful." Becky returned to Jarod's side and they turned to go.  
  
"Jarod!" Bobby called out. Jarod turned around. "Lyle is dead. The next time you see me - call me Bobby." Bobby smiled. "And be careful." Bobby turned and ran up the hall into the darkness.  
  
Jarod let out a giant sigh. "That man is going to drive me insane."  
  
Becky patted Jarod's back. "Insane is good. We can work with insane." Becky smiled. "He'll do his best. It's all we can expect."  
  
"I have learned to expect nothing but trouble from him." Jarod responded as he headed in the direction of freedom.  
  
Becky caught up and stopped in front of Jarod. "Him has a name - it's Bobby."  
  
Jarod kept onward. "His name is Lyle, and he will always be the murderer of my brother to me." Jarod kept walking forward.  
  
Becky shook her head as she turned and lit the way for Jarod. "Men." Is all she said as they quickly maneuvered towards the exit.  
  
************************  
  
Bobby climbed up the rungs to the spot where Jarod, Lily, and he had hidden. As he shut the door, he heard voices below. He laid flat, put his ear against the door, and listened to the voices below.  
  
Four maintenance men with flashlights came walking down the hall. One man held plans to the Centre. "If we go down this way, the old circuit cables are down here somewhere. That's probably where our problem is."  
  
The other man, noticeably nervous, added. "Well we better find something soon because Mr. Raines is going ballistic. And I for one don't want to see him blow. People disappear when he does."  
  
"Then let's get down there." The other man answered as their conversation became a distant echo to Bobby.  
  
"Damn. Run Jarod, run." Bobby lifted himself up and started down the shaft looking for Debbie Broots' room.  
  
***************************  
  
What is darkness and what is light? Polar opposites on the same spectrum.  
  
A caste has fallen over the Game. Will our Players find their way from the darkness into the light? 


	71. A Hope for Freedom

What is darkness and what is light? Polar opposites of the same spectrum.  
  
A cast has fallen over the Game. Will the Players be able to overcome their opposing polarity? ***************************  
  
Bobby climbed up the rungs to the spot where Jarod, Lily, and he had hidden. As he shut the door, he heard voices below. He laid flat, put his ear against the door, and listened to the voices below.  
  
Four maintenance men with flashlights came walking down the hall. One man held plans to the Centre. "If we go down this way, the old circuit cables are down here somewhere. That's probably where our problem is."  
  
The other man, noticeably nervous, added. "Well we better find something soon because Mr. Raines is going ballistic. And I for one don't want to see him blow. People disappear when he does."  
  
"Then let's get down there." The other man answered as their conversation became a distant echo to Bobby.  
  
"Damn. Run Jarod, run." Bobby lifted himself up and started down the shaft looking for Debbie Broots' room. In the dark, it was hard to see the canisters that held the chairs. He had to find one that he could possibly manually get to open into a room before the security system came back online. He was running out of time.  
  
Bobby judged that he had to be near room five or seven. He felt around the cylinder and realized he had no tools to pry the casing open. He was going to have to try and work his way into the ventilation system and go into the room that way.  
  
After looking for a few minutes, Bobby found an intake grate up above him. He pulled on the grate and found that the grate pulled open on a hinge system. He jumped up grabbing the top edge to pull himself up.  
  
Suddenly, Bobby felt someone grab his wrists and pull him up. He readied to fight, when he realized Angelo was pulling him up.  
  
"Have to help the Princess." Angelo said as Bobby stared in disbelief at the man.  
  
"How did you find me?" Slipped out of his lips. Then shaking his head, "I don't want to know. Have you seen Debbie Broots?"  
  
"Sleeping." Angelo looked down. "Guarded."  
  
"Not a problem. Show me the way." Bobby followed Angelo down the tunnel.  
  
**************************  
  
Jarod and Becky were almost to the end of the maintenance tunnel. Jarod stopped a moment. "Becky, I need you to take my ring and hit the...."  
  
Becky cut in. "Already done Jarod. My senses are very heightened right now and I knew what you were thinking. I have my own ring, remember?"  
  
"Forgot for the moment. All I can think about is getting us out of here." Jarod said resuming his trek.  
  
"It's not the only thing you're worried about. You made the right decision Jarod." Becky stopped as they came to rest in front of the rungs that led to the surface. "O.K. Do you want me to go first?"  
  
"Yes. I'll have no choice but to carry Lily up fireman style. Go up and carefully lift the lid. Peek out to see if anyone is around and then go through the door to the surface." Jarod started to move Lily, when Becky's head turned sharply. Jarod noticed her sudden movement. "Becky. What's wrong?"  
  
Fear ran through Becky's body. "We're out of time." With that the minimal lighting that usually lit the tunnel came on. "They figured out the power switches were turned off."  
  
"Go Becky. It means they are in the tunnels. Plus the locks on the electric fence that cages the dogs are also now working." Jarod watched as Becky quickly climbed the rungs and turned the handle to open the door. "See anything?"  
  
Becky peered through the crack she had made by lifting the door. "I don't see any movement Jarod." She said looking down at Jarod. "I'm going to open the door and jump out. Then maybe I can help bring Lily up and out." She pushed fully open the door and pulled herself up and over the hatch opening. She looked around nervously, but saw no one. "All clear. Come on up."  
  
Jarod carefully brought Lily over his shoulder, while clutching the IV bag in his teeth. He had grabbed onto one of the rungs, when he heard the sound of muffled voices in the distance. The Sweepers were coming up the tunnels. "Out of time is right." He used his strong arm muscles to pull both himself and Lily up the ladder. As he reached the top, Becky pulled Lily off Jarod's shoulder. As Jarod cleared the opening, he brought one leg over the top and then the other while holding Lily's legs. "Becky. They are in the tunnels. We have to move."  
  
Becky looked over Jarod's shoulder as he once again cradled his sister in his arms. "I see flashlights coming from the Centre Jarod." A few moments later they could hear the sound of barking dogs.  
  
Jarod turned in the direction of the yelping pack. His heart raced as he remembered the sound of the dogs on the night he had escaped. If it hadn't been for the nice man that had picked him up, the Sweepers would have captured Jarod that night. He turned back to see terror in Becky's eyes. "We have to get going. No time for panic now."  
  
Becky took in deep breaths trying to squash the butterflies that had formed in her stomach. "Which way Jarod?"  
  
Jarod nodded with his head toward the woods. "We have to get to the other side of those woods. There is a road that runs through the middle of the trees. That's where I was dropped off. Come on." Jarod walked as fast as he could with the weight that Lily added. He could hear the Sweepers getting closer.  
  
Becky tried to hold the tree limbs and part the bushes so that Jarod would have an easier time navigating. She too could hear that the Sweepers and the dogs were shortening their distance from them. As they hit a patch of clearer brush, Becky swung her backpack around and shuffled through it till she found what she was looking for. She pulled out the gun that Captain Marcus had placed there in case of an emergency.  
  
Jarod saw her pull the gun out and became concerned. "Do you know how to use that?"  
  
Becky held a branch up to allow Jarod to pass. "When I was at Angel's Hope I was shown how to fire and hit a target, but on SL27..." She looked at the gun in her hand. "I will fire it if I have to. I'm not going back to that horrible place."  
  
Jarod could see by the look on Becky's face that she was serious. "Becky. Do you remember living at the Centre?"  
  
Becky looked back at Jarod as she held another limb out of the way. Jarod could see the pain and sorrow that Becky now felt. "I remember being brought here...and I remember my purpose." Jarod came next to Becky trying to maneuver Lily through the bush. Becky said solemnly next to Jarod's ear. "I will never be used like that again."  
  
Jarod felt bad for the woman he considered his pseudo sister. She had told him when they were going to the Centre the first time that she had not wanted to remember her existence before Angel's Hope. "I'm sorry that coming here brought back the memories."  
  
Becky turned as she heard the voices of the Sweepers enter the woods behind them. "We can't worry about that now Jarod. What's done is done. Are we near the road?"  
  
"Yes. Through that section there. See the J carved into the first branch." He motioned with his head to the tree in front of them.  
  
"So that's how you knew the exact path. You left yourself a trail of breadcrumbs." Becky passed under the tree and could see the road in front of her. "Finally."  
  
Jarod came next to Becky. He looked impatiently up and down the road. "Where are they?"  
  
Becky also nervously looked up and down the road. "They'll be here." Becky paced back and forth not knowing what to do. "They have got to be." The sound of a motor came from down the road. In the distance, a van appeared and was going at a rapid speed.  
  
Jarod would have seen it, but his attention was drawn to the woods. "Out of time."  
  
Becky pulled his arm. "Get going. Run toward the van with Lily."  
  
Jarod looked behind him and saw the van racing down the road. "I have to stop the Sweepers..." Becky cut off Jarod.  
  
"Go now! I'll take care of them." She went to turn and walk in the direction of the Sweepers.  
  
"Becky. I have more expertise..." But again he was cut off.  
  
"I can't carry Lily. You have to get her to that van. That is your job. Now run!" She screamed.  
  
Jarod wasn't sure if it was the look on her face or the fact that Becky was holding the gun, but he knew she meant business. She was going to save her sister at all costs. So Jarod began to run as fast as he could with Lily in his arms.  
  
Becky turned toward the woods. She remembered what Raines had taught her. The memory sliced through her like a knife.  
  
Raines stood behind Becky in a wooded area on Centre property. She had been blindfolded. Standing not quite up to Raines' hip. She had to be about 6 years old. She was trembling holding the gun in her hands. Raines dragged on his cigarette. As he exhaled, a devilish grin came across his face.  
  
"I want you to see the targets in your mind Rebecca. They will be running all around you. Use that special sense to see them. And fire when they are clear."  
  
Becky was shaking her head no. "If I fire the gun, I might hit them. I could hurt someone."  
  
Raines leaned down so that he was next to Becky's ear. "It is a special weapon. It only fires marking pellets so that we can see how well you have done. No one will get harmed."  
  
Becky took a big breath and reached out with her sense. Dr. Raines had been correct. There were people running all around her. In rapid succession, Becky fired the weapon as her mind found each of the targets. She lowered the gun as she could sense no one but Dr. Raines was left around her.  
  
Raines undid the blindfold. A gasp slipped from Becky as she surveyed the carnage around her. The bodies of dead and injured men were scattered amongst the trees in the woods. "You said..." Tears started pouring down her face.  
  
A team of Sweepers came up behind Raines. "Get her back inside." He barked as he pulled her by the upper arm and deposited Becky into the grip of the waiting Sweeper. "The rest of you, finish what she started."  
  
As Becky was being led back to the Centre, the sound of gunfire filled the air...  
  
Becky blinked back the tears that the memory had brought on. She hated holding this cold weapon in her hand. It nauseated her. The Sweepers were nearing the edge of the woods. Becky stood at the side of the road, raised the gun, and closed her eyes.  
  
****************************  
  
Bobby tried to estimate where in the passageway they were. "Angelo, do you know which room she is in?"  
  
Angelo placed his hands against the wall. He got a far off look on his face. Suddenly, he pulled his hands away and started circling the floor running his hands on the ground. "Machines... starting...Raines...AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Angelo screamed.  
  
Bobby tried to calm the man down. "Angelo. Shut up. They're going to find us."  
  
Angelo got up and started running down the passageway. "Can't happen again.... can't happen again..." He kept mumbling to himself as he moved from place to place in the passageway. Then without warning - he stopped.  
  
Bobby nearly ran into the back of him. "Angelo! What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"The Princess is up there." Angelo pointed straight up. "Raines going to hurt her."  
  
"We have to get into that room. Come on." Bobby said as he dashed off down the passageway. Farther down the corridor was another access grate down. "I have to go down here and get into SL-27 to Raines' office. The master controls for the rooms are in there. I'm sure he's preoccupied with Lily's disappearance to be there."  
  
"Dangerous." Is all Angelo said.  
  
"That's why you're not going with me. Stay wherever it is that you stay when we can't find you. I'll get Debbie out and then I'll come back for you." Bobby said as he listened at the grate for sound from below.  
  
Angelo looked sad. "Get Debbie out. I stay."  
  
Bobby looked at the man. "Angelo. We're all going to get out of here."  
  
"This is...home." Is all Angelo answered.  
  
Bobby wanted to counter, but inside he knew Angelo was right. He would never be able to leave here, get a job, have an apartment, or run his own life. He had no idea how to survive in the outside world. "Be careful." He said to Angelo as he opened the grate and dropped down. "If anything happened to you, Jarod and Lily would kill me." With that said he slipped down the hole and Angelo closed the grate behind him.  
  
Angelo smiled. He knew now that Bobby was in control and that he had finally found his lost friend. Angelo took off and went to hide in the duct system.  
  
Bobby moved cautiously toward the stairwell door. He looked in both directions and through the window in the door. All was clear. He slipped through as the elevator doors opened. A pack of Sweepers came off and proceeded to the electrical maintenance corridor. Bobby jumped the steps two at a time on his ascent to SL-27.  
  
He slid himself up against the door and peeked through the door window. He pulled back quickly as a group of technicians passed by the door. As soon as they had passed, he opened the door and walked quickly to Raines' office. He opened the door cautiously as his heart beat so fast that he felt he could hardly breathe.  
  
A quick survey of the office showed that no one had been there for a while. Bobby walked into the computer room and started looking at the various monitors. He spotted Raines in Debbie Broots room. She was being prepped for a treatment in the chair. "Damn." He said as he hit his fist on the desk. He was too late.  
  
He looked at the next monitor and spotted a small boy about three years old. The boy was walking around the room when he came to a complete stop. Bobby looked for the volume control and pushed the lever so he could hear what was going on in the two rooms. The young boy tilted his head as if he were listening to someone and then smiled.  
  
"Daddy!" He exclaimed as Bobby watched the boy jump up and down.  
  
"My son." Was all Bobby got to say before he felt the cold metal of a gun touch the back of his head.  
  
********************************  
  
Sam positioned a semi-conscious Debbie Broots in the chair, placing her arms and legs in the restraint grooves. Willie typed into the computer and the restraints shifted into place. Two minutes later the metal bars slid next to her head.  
  
"The program is ready to be activated Mr. Raines." Willie reported.  
  
"Good." Raines replied as a grotesque smile came across his face. "You want to take my Players, I'll make some more. Has there been any sign of Lyle or Lily?"  
  
Sam came up next to Raines. "There was a report from the Sweeper team that was combing the woods that they had spotted movement. They were going to investigate."  
  
"The woods!" Raines became agitated. "That's the escape route Jarod took when he first escaped the Centre. Jarod has his sister. Find them both!" He bellowed as he turned to Willie. "Start the program."  
  
Willie nodded in the affirmative and pressed the start code. The screen in front of Debbie began to play.  
  
"Welcome to our world Miss Broots." Raines said as he looked triumphantly on.  
  
***************************  
  
Memories are the windows to the past. The past is our history unrolled.  
  
The Player's memories are invaluable. As their present life unfolds. 


	72. The Impossible Escape

Memories are the windows to the past. The past is our history unrolled.  
  
The Player's memories are invaluable. As their present life unfolds.

* * *

Sam positioned a semi-conscious Debbie Broots in the chair, placing her arms and legs in the restraint grooves. Willie typed into the computer and the restraints shifted into place. Two minutes later the metal bars slid next to her head.  
  
"The program is ready to be activated Mr. Raines." Willie reported.  
  
"Good." Raines replied as a grotesque smile came across his face. "You want to take my Players; I'll make some more. Has there been any sign of Lyle or Lily?"  
  
Sam came up next to Raines. "There was a report from the Sweeper team that was combing the woods that they had spotted movement. They were going to investigate."  
  
"The woods!" Raines became agitated. "That's the escape route Jarod took when he first escaped the Centre. Jarod has his sister. Find them both!" He bellowed as he turned to Willie. "Start the program."  
  
Willie nodded in the affirmative and pressed the start code. The screen in front of Debbie began to play.  
  
"Welcome to our world Miss Broots." Raines said as he looked triumphantly on. Raines turned to leave the room when the screen caught his eye...

* * *

"Slowly raise your arms." The voice from behind ordered.  
  
Bobby recognizing the voice raised his arms. "Cox. I've missed you so during my recent sabbatical." Bobby had an air of cynicism in his voice. "Klos pales in comparison."  
  
"Flattery will get you nowhere. Now move away from the console." Cox slowly moved back to allow Bobby room to move.  
  
Bobby readied to push the chair back with all his might into Cox, when the screen showing Debbie's program changed. Bobby smiled as he viewed what Debbie was seeing.

* * *

Becky let her gift reach out. The men were just within firing range. She could hear the oncoming march of the barking dogs. Their excited yelp sickened her as she realized that she would have to silence them as well to keep their position a secret. She could hear the Sweepers yelling to each other that they had spotted her. Becky turned so that she was in direct line to fire at the first Sweeper. Her finger tensed as she tightened her finger on the trigger. She was about to fire, when a force pulled her off her feet. The gun dropped out of her hand and fired off into the air.  
  
Becky opened her eyes to see that she was dangling over the road while in motion. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" She screamed as her feet pedaled helplessly in the air.  
  
"Stop squirming Becky! I'm going to drop you!" Jarod yelled into the frightened woman's ear. He was holding onto the bar next to the open side door of the van and trying to lift Becky with his other arm. It was hooked around Becky's waist. He pulled her with all his might and ended up falling backwards, with Becky landing on top of him. She was gulping air like a fish out of water.  
  
"Oh God Jarod. You just scared ten years off my life." She said between pants and jumped as she heard gunfire hit the van.  
  
"Get down!" Jarod yelled as he pushed up past Becky and slammed the van door closed. He watched out the window as the Sweeper team shooting at the vehicle turned into small specs at the side of the road. He turned on his heels and leaned on his knees to the driver of the van. "Be careful. The Sweeper teams on patrol will be alerted to the van description and possibly the license plate number."  
  
"Yes Sir." The man driving flipped a switch on the dash and the license plate in the rear of the van changed state and numbers. "The license plate has been taken care of Sir. I will take alternate routes to avoid the Sweeper teams."  
  
"Thank you. But don't take too long. Lily needs medical attention."  
  
Larry, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned around to look at Jarod. "We've already contacted the airstrip Sir. The medical team will meet us there and they have been apprised of the situation. How is she?"  
  
"I'm not sure Larry. She's sustained a lot of injuries. Thank you for everything. You're the best." Jarod smiled and then turned back around to go to the rear of the van. He stepped over Becky who was still lying on the floor of the van. He went to the back and kneeled next to his sister. One of the members of Angel's Hope was taking her vitals. "How is she?"  
  
The man looked up from his watch. "I think she is going into shock."  
  
Jarod picked up Lily's hand and looked at her nails. The discoloration under her nails told him she was having difficulty with her oxygen. "She needs oxygen."  
  
The man turned and pulled the oxygen tank from behind him and took the mask and placed it over Lily's nose and mouth. "I'm glad we switched vans. This one is more equipped for medical emergencies. I'm Jack." He offered his hand to shake Jarod's. "I understand you are her brother?"  
  
Jarod extended his hand and shook. "Yes I am. And the shaken woman behind me is her sister." Jarod turned to see Becky crawling on all fours toward them.  
  
"Hello." Becky managed to say as she came to rest next to Jarod.  
  
Jarod looked at Becky's face. "Are you all right? You look like you are having trouble breathing." Jarod lifted Becky's shirt and started to check her ribs. "I don't think I have broken anything, but you may have some bruised ribs." He turned to Jack. "Do you have anything we could wrap her ribs with?"  
  
Jack pulled a black case out and pulled out a wide ace bandage. "This is the best we can do till we get to the plane."  
  
Jarod took the bandage and turned to Becky. "Lift your arms up."  
  
Becky objected. "I'm fine Jarod. You don't need to wrap anything."  
  
A determined look came over his face. "Yes we do. I don't want to take any chances till we do a x-ray. I grabbed you pretty hard."  
  
"Fine." Becky huffed and put her arms up gingerly in the air. She closed her eyes. "I guess it beats what the alternate outcome would have been."  
  
Jarod lifted her shirt and wrapped as gently as he could with Becky gasping every now and then. "It was a very brave thing you did." Jarod said trying to ease the sore woman.  
  
"Brave had nothing to do with it. Necessity was all it was." She replied as she lowered her arms and fixed her shirt.  
  
"And love." Jarod added as he turned back to check on his sister. He had seen in Becky's expression that something was wrong. He had a feeling that he knew exactly what it was. "Sometimes circumstance forces us to do things we don't want to do. It's hard to face that there is that darkness inside us." He turned to see tears streaming down Becky's cheeks. He scooted up next to her and put his arm around her. Becky leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's like the nightmares that haunt Lily and I. I won't say that you will forget, but you will survive."  
  
Becky sniffed, sat up, and then wiped the tears from her eyes. "Look at me. Crying like a baby. Assassins don't cry."  
  
Jarod's face turned stern. "You are not an assassin. We were children put in horrible circumstances."  
  
Becky looked at Jarod. "The fact that I killed people doesn't make me a bad person right." She looked away. "When I get back to Angel's Hope and this is all over, I'm having them erase my memory again. You and Lily can keep your memories. Mine can go to hell."  
  
Jarod knew there was nothing he could do or say that was going to change her mind right now. He all too well knew what she was feeling. And he couldn't deny her the right to want to forget it all. "I'm sure Dr. Stedman could arrange that."  
  
Becky looked up at Jarod. "Thanks for not arguing with me. Maybe I'll feel different later, but I don't think so. For now, let's get Lily safe and back home."  
  
Jarod and Becky rode in silence as Jack continued to monitor Lily's vitals. Jarod knew from his expression that things were not good. Lily was going into shock and there was nothing that they could do about it. After a half an hour, they pulled up to a plane sitting on the private airstrip they had been using.  
  
Jarod and Becky jumped out the side sliding door as the medical team met Jack at the rear door. The team carefully slid a board under Lily and fastened her as they transferred the IV to a pole attached to the portable gurney. Within minutes they were rushing her to the plane.  
  
Catching up with one of the attendants, Jarod grabbed his arm. "Are you sure she is stable enough for a cross-country flight?"  
  
The attendant pulled his arm out of Jarod's grasp. "Our orders are to bring her to Angel's Hope. Regardless. There are no secure facilities in the radius that Dr. Stedman feels comfortable allowing Lily to reside." The man turned and headed for the plane.  
  
Becky had met up with Captain Marcus, who had switched with the transport pilot, to fly the team back. Somehow he knew from the look on her face to just hold her. After a few minutes he led her onto the plane. He led her back to a curtained off area. "Why don't you lie down? You have got to be exhausted."  
  
Becky shook her head. "I have to be with Lily. She needs me now." Becky tried to get past Marcus, who wouldn't let her past.  
  
"Jarod is with her now. You both should take shifts. So lay down and get some rest, please." He gave her the sweetest puppy eyes.  
  
Becky threw her hands up in the air. "Fine. I'll lie down for a little while." Then she added under her breath. "But I won't guarantee I'll get any sleep."  
  
"Lay down so I can go and fly this plane without worrying about you." He shooed her toward the cot.  
  
Becky reluctantly plopped herself down and shoved the pillow under her head. "Happy."  
  
"Yes." Marcus said as he kissed her softly on the head. "Pleasant dreams." He whispered as he exited the curtained area. He heard Becky mumble something and knew that it was wishful thinking. He turned to head for the cockpit, when he almost slammed into Jarod.  
  
"How is she?" He asked nodding toward the curtained space.  
  
Captain Marcus looked back. "Not good. I doubt she will get any sleep. What happened back there?"  
  
"I'll explain it to you once we get back to Angel's Hope. But we're not going to get there if you don't get to the drivers seat." Jarod gestured toward the front of the plane. "Or would you rather I drive?"  
  
Captain Marcus shook his head. "No. I think you have enough to deal with back here. Watch over her for me."  
  
"Will do." Jarod became sullen as he thought about the two new people in his life. One sister teetering between life and death, the other psuedo sister dying of the pain of a shattered soul. He hated the circumstances that the Centre had created. His only comfort was the thought that his program would destroy Raines' plans for years to come.

* * *

Raines sat in shock as he watched Jarod's image appear on the screen. "What is going on?" He screamed as Jarod started his speech.  
  
"Hello Mr. Raines. If you are watching this, then I would assume that you have started to use your mind control program again." Jarod leered at the camera capturing his image. "I can't allow that. You have ruined enough people's lives. So I am leaving you a little present. Now, now. I insist that you accept it. It's to die for."  
  
With that said, Jarod's image faded into skull and crossbones. The virus that Jarod had loaded into Raines' computer started to consume the Centre's computer systems like a plague of locust. The skull and crossbones started to appear on any and every computer connected to the mainframe. Within seconds it was transferred to the computers at all the annexes globally, destroying data and corrupting hard drives.  
  
The Centre I.T. department feverishly tried to block the system corruption, to no avail.  
  
Raines was barking orders as technicians filled the room trying to stop the program. Suddenly, Raines caught site of who was being pushed through the door. "Lyle! Are you part of this mess?"  
  
Cox pushed Bobby fully into the room. "I found him in the control room in your office. He was trying to access the room monitoring system."  
  
"Seems Jarod has spoiled your plans yet one more time." Bobby said as he moved toward Debbie Broots. Willie and Sam moved to detain him. "Back off you two. I'm just checking the girl."  
  
Raines watched Lyle approach the young woman and check her status. "What concern is it of yours what condition Debbie Broots is in Lyle? And where is Lily?"  
  
Bobby looked up and smiled. "Where you can't reach her Dad. She's with Jarod on her way back home. You know - a home, a real home. Where people care and love her. And where when she recovers - she's going to come back and kick your ass. She's on her way to Angel's Hope." Bobby stepped away from Debbie. "As for Debbie, I wanted to make sure you didn't get a chance to hurt her like you did the rest of us."  
  
Raines shook his head. "I don't understand Lyle. You had the world on a platter. You bought and sold people like Debbie Broots. You've had the best training, the best opportunities for advancement. Why this drastic change? And don't tell me its love."  
  
Bobby approached Raines. "It's not something you are going to understand old man. It's not about the power or the money any more. It's about promises and friendship, bonds and allegiances. About caring for someone other than yourself. Parker, Jarod, and Lily will blow the Centre wide open." Bobby turned away from Raines and spoke out into the air. "And you can't stop it. You no longer have the power."  
  
Raines' anger permeated from him like fireworks in a night sky. "Get him out of here! Get him out of my sight before I kill him!" Willie and Sam grabbed Bobby's arms. "I'm going to have them beat the information out of you!"  
  
Willie and Sam started to drag Bobby towards the exit. "See. You can't kill me. The world is changing old man. The Parker time of reign is over." Bobby looked over his shoulder at Raines. "And I told you before – my name is Bobby. Lyle is someone who no longer has a hold of my life." Bobby pulled his arms free and walked on his own between Willie and Sam.  
  
Willie pushed him into his room. The door shut quickly behind him. Bobby looked around the room. Everything so neat and tidy. Like everything was suppose to be at the Centre. He tried to ignore the fury building inside him and finally let it surface. He threw the computer and all the contents of the desk in every direction. He charged at the dresser, then he stopped suddenly.  
  
He turned as if he could hear someone. After a few moments he threw himself on the bed. "I'm sorry Lily. I know I promised. And I'm sorry that I couldn't get Debbie Broots out of here. I'm sorry..." Bobby thought he heard. "You tried..."

* * *

Parker laid sound asleep in her bed. It had taken awhile, but she had finally fallen asleep somewhere around two a.m. The phone began to ring, which caused Parker to slide herself over to the ringing instrument. She grabbed the handle, bringing it to her ear, still half asleep. "What do you want Jarod?" She announced into the instrument before she realized that she wasn't in her bed at home.  
  
A confused Jarod answered on the other end of the line. "And a good morning to you too. How did you know it was me?"  
  
Parker sat up realizing what she had done. "No one else calls me in the wee hours of the morning, except you. I forgot where I was. Where are you?"  
  
"I'm on my way back to Angel's Hope. We should be landing in an hour or so." He said as he closed his eyes to try and picture what she looked like sitting in bed. Because he did not want to think about the news he had to tell her.  
  
Parker realized that his tone was not that of a happy man. "What's wrong Jarod?" Parker started to hear the muffled voices that she had now learned needed to be filtered out in order to hear her mother. "Were you able to get to Lily?"  
  
Jarod paused for a moment as he sat and took Lily's limp hand. "Yes. She's not in good shape Parker."  
  
Parker closed her eyes knowing how much his sister's condition must hurt him. "I heard about part of it from your Father. She was in some kind of maze that Raines built?"  
  
"A maze built to test Pretenders. Lyle concluded that he was going to put you and him in there." Jarod put his sister's hand down and placed his head in the palm of his hand.  
  
"What do I look like – I'm part of the WWF? What was he going to have us do – wrestle each other?" Parker was exasperated at the depth of Raines' warped psyche.  
  
"The last obstacle was to shoot a bull's eye. For Lily, Lyle was strapped to the back. Can you imagine who it would have been for you?" The possibilities ran through Jarod's mind.  
  
Parker took in a deep breath. "Broots, Sydney, Debbie...who would that monster have chosen?"  
  
"I don't know. He's sick Parker. Just plain evil." Jarod was going to continue when Parker cut him off.  
  
"Jarod. Do you have Debbie?" Parker heard nothing but silence over the phone line. "Jarod! Do you have Debbie?!"

* * *

Escape can take on many forms. But can you out run fate?  
  
The Player's are desperately trying to flee. But can they out run themselves?


	73. Homecoming

Escape can take on many forms. But can you out run fate?  
  
The Player's are desperately trying to flee. But can they out run themselves?

* * *

Parker realized that his tone was not that of a happy man. "What's wrong Jarod?" Parker started to hear the muffled voices that she had now learned needed to be filtered out in order to hear her mother. "Were you able to get to Lily?"  
  
Jarod paused for a moment as he sat and took Lily's limp hand. "Yes. She's not in good shape Parker."  
  
Parker closed her eyes knowing how much his sister's condition must be hurting him. She could hear it by the tone in his voice. "I heard about part of it from your Father. She was in some kind of maze that Raines built?"  
  
"A maze built to test Pretenders. Lyle concluded that he was going to put the two of you in there." Jarod put his sister's hand down and placed his head in the palm of his hand.  
  
"What do I look like – I'm part of the WWF? What was he going to have us do – wrestle each other?" Parker was exasperated at the depth of Raines' warped psyche.  
  
"The last obstacle was to shoot a bull's eye. For Lily, Lyle was strapped to the back. Can you imagine who it would have been for you?" The possibilities ran through Jarod's mind.  
  
Parker took in a deep breath. "Broots, Sydney, Debbie...who would that monster have chosen?"  
  
"I don't know. He's sick Parker. Just plain evil." Jarod was going to continue when Parker cut him off.  
  
"Jarod. Do you have Debbie?" Parker heard nothing but silence over the phone line. "Jarod! Do you have Debbie?!"  
  
Jarod took in a deep breath before he answered. "I'm sorry Parker. I had Lily part way out and then we found Becky. I wanted to go back, but Lyle..."  
  
Parker cut him off once again. "You left her there. You walked out of the Centre and never looked back? She's just a kid Jarod! She shouldn't have to go through what Raines will do to her..."  
  
Now Jarod had to cut Parker off. "Parker, I didn't have a choice. I had to get Lily out of there. Lyle tried to get her out, but he got caught according to the men in contact with Dr. Stedman's people in the Centre."  
  
"There are always choices Jarod. You've been in stickier situations than this. How could you just leave..." Parker stopped in mid yell. "Did you say Lyle went back for her?"  
  
"Yes." Jarod fought back tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes. "He was with me when I found Becky. We decided that I needed to go with Lily because she was in need of someone with medical expertise and I knew the route out of the Centre. He said he would go back and get Debbie. But Larry got word before take off from the other land patrol that Lyle had been caught. The good thing is that the virus I planted worked. He can't put her in the chair he put Lily and Lyle in. The whole computer system is down."  
  
Parker lay back on her pillow. "Lyle willingly helped someone? Was willing to give up his freedom to get Debbie? That's not possible Jarod. He had to have an ulterior motive. He made a deal with Raines."  
  
"I didn't want to trust him either Parker, but I didn't have a choice. He was right. I needed to get Lily out of there. Something has happened that made Lily an even more attractive commodity to Raines." Jarod looked over at Lily as he wiped a tear from his cheek.  
  
"Why would she be more valuable now Jarod?" Parker asked.  
  
"I can't explain it all now. I'll tell you everything when I get home. I'm going to go. I just wanted to hear your voice and tell you I was all right. And that I love you." Jarod smiled at the thought of her beautiful face.  
  
"O.K. I'll expect a full report when you get back." Parker said in her best Ice Queen voice.  
  
"All right." Jarod replied a little sullen at not getting a more affectionate reply. "Will do."  
  
"And Jarod." Parker paused. "I love you too. Bye." Parker rolled over and hung up the phone. Suddenly she felt nauseous. "Oh Broots, how am I going to explain this to you. Damn you Raines!" Parker slammed her fist on the nightstand. "Ugh." She said as she grabbed the saltine crackers that she was keeping at the side of her bed. "Donna Reed, you can keep the joyous pregnancy. This is the pits." Parker popped a cracker into her mouth.

* * *

Raines sat at his desk in his darkened office. He wanted the lighting in the room to reflect the mood he was in. The last report from the Information Technology team was that they had no way of stopping Jarod's virus. It had completely decimated the Centre's entire mainframe globally in little under an hour. It was transmitted by the smallest of connections. The last contact from the department was a request to know where Mr. Broots was. He had become painfully aware that Mr. Broots' strength had now become his Achilles heel.  
  
He took a sip of the alcoholic beverage that had been sitting in front of him. He had been warned not to drink or smoke for a while now, but he didn't care. He was pondering the words that Lyle had said.  
  
"Parker, Jarod, and Lily will blow the Centre wide open. And you can't stop it. You no longer have the power."  
  
Raines pulled a very old folder toward him. He opened it and saw the yellowed pieces of paper he had seen many times before. His grandfather's notes on what the scrolls had said. He was so close to the power that the scrolls said should be his. He just needed that key Player. The one who was suppose to unlock the whole thing. Jarod. And Lily had to play a key somewhere. She had amassed her own powerful connections and she had not even been under the influence of the Centre. He had to have them – both.  
  
Willie had quietly slipped into the office. He waited for Raines to acknowledge his presence.  
  
"Did you find them?" Raines asked in voice that gave Willie the chills.  
  
Willie kept the straight face he always used when dealing with Centre business. "No Sir. The field team said that they entered a black van. Shots were fired, but the vehicle escaped. We have had the field agents checking everywhere."  
  
Raines kept his gaze straight ahead. "Again I am disappointed. Willie, this is becoming a very bad habit with the Sweeper teams. I want these men to know what the price is for failure. Take care of the leader of the field team. I think it is time that he is replaced."  
  
Willie nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Yes Sir. Consider it done." Willie turned and left Raines' office.  
  
Raines got up and pulled his air tank into the control room. The three-lit monitors displayed the remains of his projects. Lyle had fallen into an unrestful sleep. Debbie Broots was back in her bed still under the sedation of the medication she had been given. Raines looked at the third monitor and took in a short gasp. Staring up at the camera was the boy. His eyes were so focused that Raines felt as if a hole was being drilled through him. It was as if the boy knew he was sitting here watching. Raines decided it was time to go home. He was going to have to figure out a way to reach this child – he had the makings of being a true Super Pretender.  
  
The boy turned from the camera and went to the far wall of his room. He put his hand up on the drab gray wall. He tilted his head as if searching for something then smiled. "It's OK Daddy. We'll be fine. It'll be over soon." The boy pulled his hand from the wall, went to the bed, and fell soundly asleep.

* * *

Jarod took Lily's hand again and held it gently between the palms of his larger hands. Her hand looked so small and delicate compared to his. He watched her chest rise and fall in rhythmic intervals. He was glad that she was breathing on her own, though the medical team had kept Lily attached to the oxygen tank. They were trying to keep her stable enough to make the long journey back to Colorado. He was just about to close his eyes and lean on his hands when he heard a scream.  
  
Jarod shot up to his feet and ran to the curtained area where Becky was. He flew through the curtains and saw the poor woman struggling with an imaginative opponent. He quickly went next to the shuddering woman and started to shake her. "Becky. Becky, wake up."  
  
The last shake caused the frightened woman to sit straight up, her fists punching out in every direction. "Get away from me." She screamed while Jarod tried to avoid her flailing arms. After a few moments when she could focus, Becky lowered her arms. "I'm sorry Jarod. I didn't mean to hit you." She lowered her face in embarrassment.  
  
"There is no need to apologize. You haven't been anywhere I haven't been a hundred times before myself. Nightmares can be so real."  
  
Becky pushed her golden blonde locks from her face. "How do you stand it Jarod? Dreaming about what they did to us? I feel like I want to die inside."  
  
Jarod came and put his arm around her. "I take it one day at a time. That's all you can do. I try to push it to the back of my mind, but..."  
  
"But it just comes out in your dreams. The subconscious' way of dealing with it I guess." She brushed the few droplets of water from under her eyes. "No wonder Lily was going crazy." Becky looked up at Jarod. "How is she?"  
  
"No change. She's still breathing on her own. That's a good sign at least." Jarod said as he brought his arm back around. "It's funny. We've only known each other a little while, but I can't picture my life without her."  
  
Becky fought back the tears that were rising in her eyes. "And I've had her in my life for as long as I can remember and can't imagine her any other place than by my side. We use to joke that we would be two old bitties growing old together, sitting in rocking chairs, and telling the youngins not to get into too much trouble. Now I'm not sure if we'll have next week together." And that was all Becky could take. The emotional roller coaster she had been on the last couple of weeks broke and she started sobbing.  
  
Jarod tried to console her, but knew he wasn't the person she needed. Jarod got up and made his way to the cockpit. "Captain Marcus. I think we need to trade places."  
  
Marcus turned to look at Jarod. "You want to fly the plane?"  
  
Jarod nodded his head yes. "I think there is someone in the back who needs you right now."  
  
The light went on and his face lit with acknowledgement. "Do you know how to fly this kind of aircraft?"  
  
"Yes." Jarod watched as Captain Marcus hit the controls to put the plane on autopilot. "Now go." Jarod said as he switched with the nervous pilot.  
  
Captain Marcus went back to the curtained area and entered slowly. He saw Becky sitting on the bed crying. "Jarod said you needed someone right now. I'd like to apply for the position." He tried to see some semblance of a smile.  
  
Becky sniffed and wiped the tears away. "Guess he didn't want to have to deal with an emotional mess."  
  
Marcus came and sat next to Becky. "I believe he thought you needed someone to lean on right now. I would like to be with you while you are dealing with everything that is happening."  
  
Becky leaned up against his chest. "Thank you." The two just sat there for a while, not saying a word. Eventually Becky lifted her head up. "I think I better tell Jarod that I'm no longer a stark raving lunatic any longer."  
  
"I'll get him. I have to make sure he hasn't flown us half way to Argentina by now." Marcus said as he got up and parted the curtains.  
  
"I doubt that. If anything, we probably are going warp speed by now. Can you please ask Jarod to come back here?" Becky said with a small smile.  
  
After a few minutes, Jarod's head peeked through the curtains. "Feeling better?"  
  
"Define better." Becky said cracking a half hearted smile.  
  
"Understood. I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this. When we looked through Catherine Parker's office, I never imagined all this would happen. I never wanted anyone..."  
  
Becky cut Jarod off. "You did what you did to find out who you are. I don't blame you for doing what needed to be done. Raines has had control of our lives for way too long. His time has come." Becky looked off as if she were seeing something.  
  
"Becky. Do you know how all this will end?" Jarod asked curious about her expression.  
  
Becky turned back towards Jarod. "If Lily wakes up, yes I do. And it's not from anything I've seen. It's just that I know Lily. And that man is toast if she gets her hands on him."  
  
"She'll have to get past Parker and me. I think we have – what do they call it – first dibs?" Jarod tried to get the unhappy woman to smile.  
  
And she did. "Yes Jarod. First dibs. I would push you out of the way myself if it meant she was going to wake up." Becky got to her feet. "OK. Shift change. You need some sleep and I need not to sleep. I'll go take the next shift with Lily."  
  
Jarod started to put is hands up shaking them in protest. "No. I don't need to sleep. I'm fine. I can run for days without any sleep and you..."  
  
Becky cut the protesting Pretender off again. "I know you can go without sleep, but that doesn't mean that it's good for you. You need to be rested when we get back to Angel's Hope. Parker will need you. Lily will need you. The whole damn facility will need you if Lily doesn't wake up." Becky ran her hand through her hair. "Get some sleep." Becky parted the curtains and then turned around. "With the news Parker has, you're going to need it." Becky turned and left a very confused Jarod sitting on the bed wondering what had just happened.

* * *

Parker stood there taping her foot. How she craved just one cigarette. One lone butt that she could dangle from her lips and take a long drag from. But it was just all a pipe dream. Besides the fact that Dr. Goodall would have a heart attack to have the smell of nicotine floating throughout her precious sanctuary, there was a little bundle to think about.  
  
She had gotten the call that Jarod's plane was approaching. She could see the craft approaching in the early morning sky. How she hated early mornings, but this sunrise brought the man she loved back to her. Back from the boughs of Hell. An escape that had come with a price. She was still trying to figure out how to tell Broots.  
  
The plane was making its way down the runway. Parker's heart felt like it had stopped and was going to explode. It taxied to a stop. Suddenly the runway was full of excitement. People were running all around her. Medical personnel swarmed the plane. A few minutes later she saw them carrying out a stretcher. Dr. Stedman came from the doorway behind her and ran to the stretcher. Even from this distance she could see that Lily was in bad shape.  
  
Parker scanned the mass of people looking for a sign of Jarod. She spotted Becky coming out of the plane with the pilot of the plane. He was holding her back. A romance in the making Parker wondered? Then he was there. Standing in the doorway of the plane. She tried to keep her calm as she made her way past all the people and the stretcher passing her.  
  
Jarod spotted her and tried to make his way through the people from the other end. A smile appeared as he saw her beautiful face in the morning light.  
  
Parker's face glowed with excitement as she continued to try and get through the crowd. She almost made it to Jarod when a wave of dizziness hit. Her vision became distorted as the world started swirling around her. The clatter of the voices around her turned into a slurred montage of noise.  
  
Jarod's smiling face turned to fright as he saw Parker sway. The color had drained from her face and he saw her teeter forward. He pushed his way through the final row of people, just as Parker's limp body fell into his arms.

* * *

Home, Sweet Home. A familiar phrase for many.  
  
But to the Players its almost an impossible dream. Will they ever find what they are truly looking for?


	74. Waiting Game

Home, Sweet Home.

A familiar phrase for many.  
  
But to the Players its almost an impossible dream.

Will they ever find what they are truly looking for?

* * *

Home, Sweet Home. A familiar phrase for many.  
  
But to the Players its almost an impossible dream. Will they ever find what they are truly looking for?  
  
Parker scanned the mass of people looking for a sign of Jarod. She spotted Becky coming out of the plane with the pilot of the plane. He was holding her back. A romance in the making Parker wondered? Then he was there. Standing in the doorway of the plane. She tried to keep herself calm as she made her way past all the people and the stretcher passing her.  
  
Jarod spotted her and tried to make his way through the people from the other end. A smile appeared as he saw her beautiful face in the morning light.  
  
Parker's face glowed with excitement as she continued to try and get through the crowd. She almost made it to Jarod when a wave of dizziness hit. Her vision became distorted as the world started swirling around her. The clatter of the voices around her turned into a slurred montage of noise.  
  
Jarod's smiling face turned to fright as he saw Parker sway. The color had drained from her face and he saw her teeter forward. He pushed his way through the final row of people, just as Parker's limp body fell into his arms.  
  
"Parker! Parker!" Jarod screamed as he fell to the ground, cradling Parker's body in his lap.  
  
Dr. Stedman turned from following Lily when she heard Jarod scream. She turned back to one of the technicians with Lily. "Get her down to Dr. Harrington stat. I'll be there in a few." The technician nodded in agreement and continued to push Lily into Angel's Hope. Stedman grabbed another technician. "Get me another gurney now!" She ran over to Jarod, who was now trying to take Parker's vitals. "What happened?"  
  
Jarod looked up at the doctor. "I don't know. One minute she's standing there and I spot her in the crowd. The next she's collapsing into my arms."  
  
Parker's eyes started to flutter. "What the hell is going on?" She asked as she tried to get her bearings.  
  
"You passed out. What happened Parker?" Jarod asked concern written all over his face.  
  
Stedman came into Parker's view. "How are you feeling? Do you have any abdominal pain?" She asked trying to check Parker's vitals herself.  
  
Parker shook her head no. "I'm fine. Just get me up. It's nothing." Parker was trying to shoo Stedman away. "I'm fine." She said sharply to Stedman.  
  
The gurney pulled up behind Stedman. "Let's get you down to the infirmary and let Dr. Berez have a look at you."  
  
Parker huffed. "I don't need that thing. I told you I was fine."  
  
Jarod looked at Parker and Dr. Stedman. "You were asked to go to the doctor's office when I called the one time. Is there something wrong? Are you all right?"  
  
"I don't need to be babied!" Parker yelled. But before she could get up and stomp off, Jarod picked her up in his arms.  
  
"If you won't get on the gurney, then I'll take you myself. Lead on Dr. Stedman." Stedman headed for the doors with Jarod right behind her.  
  
"Put me down!" Parker demanded as she hit Jarod in the chest with her fists and kicked her long legs.  
  
Jarod swung her legs through the doorframe. "You may not need to be babied, but you sure are acting like an infant."  
  
Parker hit him in the chest one final time. "You are incorrigible Jarod. Please put me down."  
  
"Not until we get to this Dr. Berez's office. I want answers." Jarod barrelled on and followed Dr. Stedman onto the elevator.  
  
Parker huffed. "And they say chivalry is dead." Parker leaned up against Jarod's chest with her arms crossed knowing she had lost. The elevator doors opened and Jarod continued to follow Dr. Stedman to the medical wing.  
  
Dr. Berez was standing outside her office. "What happened?" The doctor asked as she led the group to an examination room.  
  
"She was walking towards me and passed out falling into my arms. Her vitals are stable. Though there has been a sign of irritability." Jarod reported as he placed Parker on the examination table.  
  
"You must be Jarod." Dr. Berez extended her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."  
  
Jarod looked at Parker. "Is that a good thing?" He had hoped to get a smile out of Parker.  
  
Parker just sat there with kill written all over her face. "I am fine. I got a little dizzy – that's all." She ended in a huff.  
  
"Have you been taking the vitamins I gave you?" Berez asked as she picked up the medical chart that had been left for her.  
  
Parker's eyes grew big. "I think I would rather do this in private please."  
  
Jarod felt as if a weight had been dropped on him. She didn't want him here while she talked to the doctor. It could only mean something seriously was wrong. "Parker. I want to know what is wrong with you." He asked with pleading eyes.  
  
Dr. Berez saw the standoff between the two. "Jarod. I need to do an examination, so if you and Dr. Stedman could please step outside." She motioned for the door.  
  
Jarod was about to object, when Dr. Stedman started pushing Jarod toward the door. "Come with me Jarod. We'll go check that Lily is doing all right."  
  
"But I want to stay here...." Jarod protested.  
  
Parker broke the standstill. "Go check on Lily Jarod. I'll be fine."  
  
Jarod knew he wasn't going to win. "I'll be back soon. Do as the doctor orders." He said as Stedman pushed him all the way out the door.  
  
"We would normally treat Lily in her room, but the medical staff thought it would be better to keep her here in the medical wing in case of any emergencies." Stedman was trying to redirect Jarod's mind. And she thought she knew the perfect solution.  
  
They passed the nurses station and started down the corridor. "Her room is right down this hall." Joan took Jarod just outside Lily's room. Through the door they could see the medical staff still trying to get her situated. "There's something I want to show you." Stedman walked across the hall and knocked on the door. A 'come in' was heard from inside. Stedman opened the door and stood up against it, motioning for Jarod to go into the room.  
  
Jarod passed Stedman a little confused as to why they were entering a stranger's hospital room, until he spotted a woman with red hair sitting in a bed. Jarod's heart skipped a beat as he realized who he was looking at. She looked exactly like the photo he had been carrying with him for six years. "Mom?" His legs suddenly felt like jelly.  
  
A smile that could have lit up a moonless night sky appeared on Margaret's face. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes as she realized who was standing in front of her. "Jarod?"  
  
Jarod regained the use of his legs and ran to the woman's side. He saw the intravenous line running into her arm and was afraid to give her the hug he had been waiting thirty-seven years to give. "I can't believe you are really here in front of me. Am I dreaming? Is this real?"  
  
Margaret cupped Jarod's face in her hands. "My little man. How I have missed you so." Full-blown tears now fell freely down her cheeks. "This is real, my darling boy. And I am never letting you go again." Margaret grabbed Jarod in as much of a bear hug as she could manage with all the tubing in their way.  
  
Jarod, with a great sob, wrapped his arms around his mother and hugged her back. "We will never be separated again. I promise."

* * *

Bobby tossed and turned restlessly on his bed. The nightmare he was having was shaking him to his very core. He was being dragged to the shed by Lyle Bowman. Bowman was screaming at him. He always screamed at him. Bobby couldn't remember a time when the man had said a civil word to him. Not even when he had achieved every medal and recognition an athlete could receive in high school. The man still complained it wasn't enough.  
  
Bowman shoved Bobby in the shed. The door slammed shut with a thunk. A few seconds later Bobby could hear the clicking of the lock. That sweet sound. It meant that he would be left alone to salvage what little sanity he had left.  
  
Mr. Raines had started visiting on a regular basis. Had been telling him that he could control the power. Could break free of Bowman's hold on him. But he would have to cooperate. At times it seemed that the shed whispered to him that he decided who lived or died. That he had the power. And it was there in the dark that Bobby had begun to formulate his revenge on Lyle Bowman.  
  
Bobby remembered figuring out that he would frame Bowman for what would be his death. But he would need a body the voice in the shed had said.....  
  
The memory changed and Bobby stopped twisting in his sleep. He was in a wheat field in Nebraska. He could feel the sun warming his young face.  
  
"This is a much better memory." A voice came from behind Bobby.  
  
Bobby turned to see his son standing there amongst the stalks. The waving crop at times enveloping him as they towered above him. "Why are you here?" Bobby started to ask as he watched the boy slowly approach him, pushing the stalks as he went.  
  
"Grandmother doesn't like the other memories. She says that they hurt you. I like it better here." The little boy picked a stalk and looked at it with curiosity. "Sorghum hybrid." The little boy stated matter of factly.  
  
Bobby knelt down to be next to the boy. It amazed him that the boy knew what he was walking through. "You can hear Catherine Parker?"  
  
The little boy shook his head. "Yes. And sometimes I can see her like I'm here with you. The others taught me that. At NuGenesis."  
  
Bobby remembered the other children that were at NuGenesis. Children that would have been his playmate. "The other children that were special like you. I thought Mr. Raines had isolated you. That you didn't have any playmates."  
  
The little boy smiled. "We found other ways to play. Like this. Alone, but not alone. And then there was always Grandmother. I can always talk to her. Grandmother watches over all the children she said." It seemed like the boy was listening to something. "She wants me to give you a message."  
  
"A message?" Bobby asked curiously.  
  
The boy shook his head in acknowledgement again. "She says that you have to hold on. Don't let them take away the gift that Lily has given you. That everyone deserves second chances. Rely on your Inner Sense. It will help you with what is to come."  
  
"What is coming?" Bobby asked.  
  
The boy listened again. He face distorted with confusion. "A storm – I think. Grandmother says that when she comes, there will be a lot of explosions. That I am to listen to you."  
  
Bobby thought about what he had said. The word she seemed to stand out. Could his mother have been talking about Lily? Parker? "Then I guess we better be ready for anything to happen. Can you keep yourself safe from Mr. Raines?"  
  
The little one again shook his head yes. "I give them their tests and that makes them happy. But the girl is afraid. And she can't think clearly. I tried to talk to her, but I couldn't."  
  
"Debbie Broots." Bobby said as he stood up. "I will have to distract them from Debbie, but how?" He thought for a moment. Then it came to him. Jarod's one Pretend would be a perfect distraction.  
  
The little boy smiled. "We'll keep them busy. You'll see."  
  
Bobby woke up with a start. He had a plan. The question was when to implement it.

* * *

Stedman smiled from the doorway as Mother and Son hugged. She stepped out of the room to give the duo some privacy, when she looked up and saw Lily. It had been the first time she had really allowed herself to look at her.  
  
Lily's face was bruised and swollen. Joan walked in a little closer and took in a quick breath. She walked in the remainder of the way and came to rest right next to Lily's bed. Joan gently picked up Lily's hand. She cradled it in her own for a moment, then pushed the hospital gown up that had been covering Lily's arm.  
  
A tear ran down her cheek as she examined Lily's bruised and pinpricked arms. Joan could see where the multiple IV's had been placed in her arms. Further up were shot sites that had bruised from forcefulness that had been used in administering them. Joan moved the sheets to see the same marks on her thighs. How many times had Raines injected her with chemicals to force her rejection of the life she had made for herself? The goodness she had achieved from the ashes of evil.  
  
"Oh my dear Lily." Is all she could choke out as she fixed the sheets back around the comatose woman.  
  
"My baby." Came a voice from behind Joan.  
  
Joan turned to see Margaret standing in the doorway with the help of Jarod. "Margaret. You shouldn't be in here. This is too much for you right now."  
  
"She insisted." Jarod tried to explain. "Once she found out that I had brought Lily back, she refused to stay in bed."  
  
Tears welled up in Margaret's eyes. "My baby." Margaret moved slowly to Lily's side. "What have they done to you?"  
  
Jarod's eyes filled with tears. Not only because he saw his twin sister's body lying there so still, but because he could see the pain in his mother's face. He had always imagined what it would be like when he found his mother. This was not the utopian scene he had envisioned.  
  
Margaret took Lily's hand. "You have your grandmother's hands. So delicate, yet so strong." Margaret looked up at Joan. "Joan. I want the truth. Will she ever wake up?"

* * *

Players and life mates.

Connected by a lifeline.  
  
That transcends time and space.

Is it strong enough to help them survive?


	75. Resolutions

Angel's Hope Written by scifi4ever2001yahoo.com  
  
Players and life mates. Connected by a lifeline.  
  
That transcends time and space. Is it strong enough to help them survive?

* * *

Joan turned to see Margaret standing in the doorway with the help of Jarod. "Margaret. You shouldn't be in here. This is too much for you right now."  
  
"She insisted." Jarod tried to explain. "Once she found out that I had brought Lily back, she refused to stay in bed."  
  
Tears welled up in Margaret's eyes. "My baby." Margaret moved slowly to Lily's side. "What have they done to you?"  
  
Jarod's eyes filled with tears. Not only because he saw his twin sister's body lying there so still, but because he could see the pain in his mother's face. He had always imagined what it would be like when he found his mother. This was not the utopian scene he had envisioned.  
  
Margaret took Lily's hand. "You have your grandmother's hands. So delicate, yet so strong." Margaret looked up at Joan. "Joan. I want the truth. Will she ever wake up?"  
  
Joan pondered how to answer Margaret's question without sounding derogative. She let out a long sigh. "I don't want to lie to you Margaret. Her injuries are severe. She has had brain surgery twice in a matter of a month. The other doctors haven't given me their findings yet, but..."  
  
Margaret cut her off. "Don't give me that psychiatric mumbo jumbo. Is she going to wake up Joan?" Margaret's pleading eyes told Joan that she was not going to succeed in her smoke screen.  
  
"Truthfully I don't know Margaret." Joan brought her hands up in a prayer motion to her mouth. "If she does Margaret, she may not be the same person she was." Joan tried to stifle a cry. "She may not have the ability to talk or even reason." Joan saw the fear in Margaret's eyes. "We just don't have enough information yet."  
  
Jarod came up behind his mother. "Lily's a fighter Mom. She has a stubborn streak a mile long. She'll wake up." Jarod tussled Lily's bangs. "She has to. She promised she would come back to me."  
  
"And an O'Connor always keeps their promises."  
  
Jarod turned to see his father standing behind him. "Dad!" The excited man ran and hugged his father. "It's so good to see you."  
  
"It's good to see you too son." Major Charles patted his son on the back. "Is that Lily?" But the tears in his wife's eyes told him everything he needed to know. Charles moved closer into the room. "Ahhh." He slapped his leg with his fist in anger. "What did they do to my little girl?" He turned away from Lily's bed just as Emily, Ethan, and Thomas came into the room after hearing the commotion.  
  
Emily pushed past the boys and her father to get a better view. She let out a short gasp. "Is that my sister? Oh dear God in heaven - what did they do to you?" Margaret put a loving arm around Emily, but wilted a little physically exhausted.  
  
"Mom!?" Jarod came up behind her seeing what had happened. "You have to get back to bed." Jarod picked his mother up and carried her back to her room. Charles, Emily, Thomas, and Joan followed.  
  
"Put me down right this minute young man!" Margaret protested adamantly.  
  
Jarod placed her into her bed and started pulling the covers up. "I thank you for the compliment Mother, but a man of forty-three is hardly a young man. Besides the fact that I am 6'3" and you are merely 5'6". I believe I have a definite advantage." He gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Besides - I love you and I don't want you to wear yourself out."  
  
"You listen to our son Margaret." Charles started as he pulled a chair up next to his wife's bed. "He's a genius you know." Charles smiled up at his son.  
  
"I was also a Doctor once." Jarod turned to Emily. "How about a hug for your big brother?" Emily wrapped her arms around Jarod.  
  
"What - I'm chopped liver over here?" Thomas asked playfully.  
  
Jarod went and hugged - it was still a little weird, hugging one's self - Thomas. "How are you doing?"  
  
"I've been helping Mr. Broots hack into the Centre files. It's very cool. Mr. Raines is going to flip."  
  
"Be careful little brother." Jarod patted the young man on his back. Jarod looked around the room. Joan was talking to Margaret and Charles about Lily. Emily was off to the side listening to the report. Thomas was sitting at the table figuring out some kind of computer lingo. But Jarod did not see Ethan. Jarod slipped back out into the hall, looked through Lily's doorway and spotted Ethan next to Lily's bed.  
  
The young man's face was drawn and sad. He looked as if he hadn't slept much in the last couple of the days. He was gently holding Lily's hand in his own. "I'm so sorry." He said barely over a whisper.  
  
"Why would you have to be sorry?" Jarod asked from the doorway after hearing the bedside confession.  
  
Ethan lowered his head.  
  
Jarod knew that Ethan was not a very open person. The years that Raines had control over him had taken their toll. Jarod came up behind his brother. "None of this was your fault."  
  
"I sent her in there Jarod. I sent her to the Centre. I listened to the voices...they were telling me she needed to face her enemy...I didn't know she would go..." Tears streamed downed Ethan's face.  
  
Jarod pulled his brother into an embrace. "Ethan. IF there is one thing that I have figured out about Lily, it's that she does was she wants to. She would have gone back to the Centre, even if you had nailed her feet to the floor. The need to find out who she was, who we were, was the most paramount thing in her mind. You couldn't have stopped her any more than you could stop a tornado."  
  
The man wiped his eyes. "Why Jarod? Why did she go back there? After everything that she had been told about Raines and the Centre."  
  
"Because of everything she had been told about the Centre. Because Parker and I opened a gate we couldn't close in her mind. And if we believe Sydney's twin theory, because we were both trying to figure out who we were? Where did we come from? Why did the Centre want us?"  
  
Ethan shook his head in agreement. "I guess I was asking those same questions myself a few months ago."  
  
Jarod moved around Ethan and ran his sister's hair through his fingers. It felt like fine threads brushing against his hand, like a soft feather. "The thing is – I'm not sure we're any closer to the answers now than we were before. Angel's Hope just opened a whole new kettle of fish. Raines will be even more ruthless now to gain information....gain Angel's Hope. I've put even more people in danger than I did before. Including Debbie Broots."  
  
Now it was Ethan's turn to comfort his anguished brother. "From what I have heard, Debbie Broots was targeted from the day she was conceived. As for the rest of us, it wasn't your fault Jarod. You have tried to keep all of us as safe as humanly possible. It's not like you are Superman. I think you've done damn good up to this point."  
  
Jarod let out a long sigh. "Tell that to Lily, as she lays here torn apart and broken."  
  
Now Ethan turned stern. "I think you have to accept your own advice. She did what she was going to do. And she didn't tell you because she was doing the same thing that you have been doing – protecting the family. The both of you are really two peas in a pod."  
  
Jarod tenderly ran his fingers down Lily's face. He bent down to whisper in Lily's ear. "I would take your place if I could. I love you my sister. I'll be back later." Jarod kissed Lily's forehead. He pushed up off of the hospital bed and started for the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Ethan asked as he followed Jarod out of the room.  
  
Jarod turned around. "I'm going to go find Parker. Make sure Mom is all right for me. Something is going on with Parker and I plan on having no more secrets in my life." With that Jarod stomped off down the hall.

* * *

Bobby was sure that Raines was watching him. He had to buy time for all of them. He knew when he had headed back up into that tunnel, that Jarod would be unable to come back to help him. If he got caught, he would have to figure out how to keep Raines busy until Jarod could get Lily home and then come back for his assault on the Centre.  
  
And he was sure that Jarod would be back. As sure as he was that he had finally known what it felt like to be in love with someone. Jarod could care less that he rotted in this place, but he would never leave Debbie Broots to a life as a ward of SL-27. He knew far too well the ramifications of that stay. Had seen the results in Kyle.  
  
Bobby's mind drifted to Lily. He didn't have to wonder if she had survived. The voices had been whispering to him ever since his rebirth into this new life. If she had not survived, they would have told him. If she were gone, he would have felt it. In his soul. They were connected now. He could feel her presence touching him. A warm caress in his mind's eye. He wasn't sure what kind of state she was in, but she was alive.  
  
It helped to keep him calm as he tried to figure out how to institute his plan. He had to tread water till Jarod could rescue Debbie and his son. He had awoken with that one agenda – the children had to survive. Bobby smiled as he pictured how happy his mother would be right now. That he had picked up her cause. Was proverbially standing side by side with his sister to defend what she had held so dear.  
  
His heart ached just to have had one moment with her while she was alive. Parker had been lucky. Even though she was eleven when Catherine Parker died, she had loving memories that she could hold onto right now. Could bury deep inside her to cherish regardless of what the Centre had taught her. Would his life have been different if he had that influence? He already knew the answer – you can't live in the dark, when you have been touched by a beautiful light. For all the barriers Parker had thrown up to survive the Centre; she still had their mother's sparkling spirit inside her. Something he had been void of.  
  
Bobby lay on the cot with his mind racing. What was the best way to get Raines' attention? Then suddenly he could hear a melody. Bobby sat up in bed looking around. The sound wasn't coming from the speakers in the room; it was inside his mind. He began rocking back and forth, realizing what his mother was trying to tell him.  
  
He slipped onto the floor and pushed a little from the bed. He continued rocking back and forth, back and forth. And then he started the song he could hear in his head. Barely audible at first, then building to full force.  
  
Bobby continued rocking and chanting. Knowing the words he had heard a thousand times before from Jarod. "Cree Craw Toad's Foot, Geese Walk Bare Foot."

* * *

Parker was pushing Becky down the hall. She had summoned the woman after she had left Dr. Berez's office. "Come on, come on. We won't have much time."  
  
Becky snapped her head as Parker once again pushed her down the hall. "Touch me one more time and I swear..."  
  
Parker just laughed. "I see the Centre has given you a spine."  
  
Becky rubbed her hands up and down her crossed arms remembering the feelings she had gotten while at the Centre. "Let's just say I'm not the same person I was before."  
  
"Good." Parker kept the steady click of her heels going. "You'll need that when we go back."  
  
"We?" Becky asked stopping dead in her tracks. "Who said I was ever going back to that hellhole?"  
  
Parker stopped and turned around in a huff. "You don't have a choice. I don't have a choice. No one has a choice anymore. Raines knows you exist. Jarod brought Lily back here. He won't stop. He won't rest. He has unlimited resources and he wants your ass. Any questions?"  
  
Becky's temper just bordered on explosion. She answered through clenched teeth. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for Raines to manipulate our chromosomes and create monsters. I didn't ask Lily to walk back into that place." Becky started pacing back and forth. "Why do I have to pay the price? Why do I have to be involved in any more of this? I did my part. I helped bring Lily home. That's it. I'm done!"  
  
Parker placed her body in front of Becky's to stop the woman short. "Listen to me. As long as there is breathe in that ghoul's lungs, he will be after you. But I could care less about us. We've been dealing with the grim reaper for a lifetime now. But I refuse to let him have Debbie. I will give my dying breath to get her out of that place. So will Jarod. So will you. Because that is who you are. You were where Debbie is thirty eight years ago. You won't let another innocent child get hurt they way you were. That's how I know you will join us in trying to get her out."  
  
Becky wanted to scream, to throw something, to hit someone. She closed her eyes trying to keep the tears away. She brought her hands up in a silent prayer. "Do you always get your way?" She opened her blue eyes that burned with the fire of hurt and pain.  
  
Parker softened her expression and tone. "I am use to people doing as I say. Doing as I tell them to do. But I'm not ordering you - I'm stating a fact. You won't survive if you run away. Stand up to the Centre. Stand up to Raines. Take back your life. Stand with Jarod and me."  
  
Becky took in a long breath. "I don't know.... I wish Lily were awake. She would know what to do."  
  
"But she isn't. And we don't know if she ever will. So now the decision is up to you. Are you in or out?" Parker waited for Becky's answer.  
  
Becky stared into Parker's eyes. "I'm in."  
  
"Told you." Parker said as she passed Becky and resumed her trek down the hall.  
  
Becky threw her hands up in frustration. "You are infuriating. And where are we going?"  
  
Parker stopped and turned. "Before all this happens, I have to have one special night with Jarod. I have something important to tell him and I want it to be memorable. In that, I need your help."  
  
Becky shook her head in acknowledgment. "You're going to tell him about the baby."  
  
Parker openly showed her shocked expression. Which then turned to anger. "That witch just couldn't keep her mouth shut. What? Has she told everyone in the whole compound? She's probably told Jarod by now."  
  
Now fury sparked in Becky's eyes. "Don't talk about Joan that way! She is the only person who has cared for me besides Lily. She is the only person I have ever known as a mother. So don't you dare talk about her like she's garbage. All she has ever wanted was to love you from the moment you stepped foot through the front door. And all you have shown her is contempt." Becky pushed past Parker. "You want your special evening, I'll help you with your special evening. But to get things straight - I knew from the moment I touched you before leaving for Los Angeles. No one needs to tell me anything - I'm psychic remember." Becky ended with sarcasm.  
  
Parker cringed having to reply. "I'm sorry. But I have spent my life keeping everyone at a distance. This is all new to me. And she is talking to me like I am that goddaughter she bounced on her knee. I'm not that person any more." Parker paused as her words burned in her throat. "I'm not even sure I can do this." She placed a hand on her stomach. "I don't know how to be a mother."  
  
Becky's defensiveness calmed down. She could feel the feelings of sorrow coming from Parker. "You'll learn. Jarod will help you. You already have the defensive mother thing going, so the rest will just fall into place." She cracked a small smile.  
  
Parker couldn't help but smile too. "I wonder if they make 9mm for toddlers?"  
  
Becky's smile broadened. "I think we better find you some parenting books. Come on - we have a special evening to get together." Becky headed down the hallway.  
  
Parker tried to hide the broadening smile. She had successfully diffused the situation and had gotten Becky on their side. Mission accomplished. She followed Becky down the hall contemplating what she would have in store for her Pretender.

* * *

Anger is a potent fuel.

Pain a tremendous motivator.  
  
The Players have lived through a life of anger and pain.

Will it help them to survive or be destroyed?


	76. Choices and Ramifications

Angel's Hope Written by   
  
Anger is a potent fuel. Pain a tremendous motivator.  
  
The Players have lived through a life of anger and pain. Will it help them to survive or be destroyed?  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Becky's defensiveness calmed down. She could feel the feelings of sorrow coming from Parker. "You'll learn. Jarod will help you. You already have the defensive mother thing going, so the rest will just fall into place." She cracked a small smile.  
  
Parker couldn't help but smile too. "I wonder if they make 9mm for toddlers?"  
  
Becky's smile broadened. "I think we better find you some parenting books. Come on - we have a special evening to get together." Becky headed down the hallway.  
  
Parker tried to hide the broadening smile. She had successfully diffused the situation and had gotten Becky on their side. Mission accomplished. She followed Becky down the hall contemplating what she would have in store for her Pretender.  
  
Becky allowed Parker to catch up. "So what do you have in mind?"  
  
Parker smiled. "I want to re-create the night in the arboretum."  
  
Becky tilted her head and put on a mischievous look. "Isn't that what got you into this in the first place?"  
  
"Exactly." Parker let her mind wonder back to that night. "I think it will be the perfect place to tell him. Away from everything else that is going on around us. That room screams serenity."  
  
"The situation at hand is far from serene. So I agree with you. It will be the perfect place to tell him. I'll get catering to fix the dinner and I'll program the lighting."  
  
Parker and Becky came to the elevator. "There is only one problem."  
  
"What's that?" Becky asked with curiosity. Her somber mood dissipating from their earlier confrontation.  
  
"How am I going to stay away from Jarod? I'm sure he's already on the hunt for me. He wasn't very happy when the doctor ordered him out of the room."  
  
Becky smiled. "Well Joan took care of him for a while. She took him to see his mother. But I believe you are right, he will eventually come looking for you." Becky thought for a moment. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed. "Morris. I need a favor. Can you please monitor Jarod's tracking ring and phone my number whenever his location changes? Thank you."  
  
Parker smiled. Now he was going to get a taste of what it was like chasing after someone.  
  
Becky closed the phone. "Done. You have now officially become the hunted. Let the Games begin." She headed off down the hall with the prey in tow.  
  
The doors to Bobby's room swished open. Willie and Sam flanked the doorway as Raines pulled his air tank into the room behind him. Bobby heard the squeaking of the air tanks wheels, but did not acknowledge the entrance of any of the men. He just continued to rock back and forth, slowly and methodically.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Willie asked Sam quietly.  
  
"He's finally gone off his rocker." Sam volleyed back. "Can't say that I'm surprised."  
  
Raines came to an abrupt stop in front of the rocking man. "What are you doing Lyle?" Raines watched intensely waiting for Lyle to answer.  
  
Lyle ignored the initiated conversation. He kept to his rhythmic movement.  
  
Frustrated, Raines turned to Willie. "Get him up." Raines ordered.  
  
Willie approached Lyle cautiously. He scooted behind Lyle and grabbed him under each arm pulling the man to his feet.  
  
With sudden reflex, Bobby pushed Willie backwards sending him flying onto the bed and hitting his head on the wall. Lightening quick, he pushed past Raines and knocked Sam off his feet. He scooted out through the door just as it was closing.  
  
"Get up you idiots!" Raines screamed. "Open the door." He screamed again to the people watching in the control room.  
  
Bobby ran down the hallway pushing people out of his way. "Where are my Mom and Dad?" He yelled.  
  
As the door opened, Willie and Sam came running through. Hearing the screaming man, they headed to the left down the hallway. Other Sweepers joined in the chase coming up from behind Willie and Sam. Raines followed pulling his air tank along.  
  
Bobby came to a stop, crouching between two sets of Sweepers. "Where are my Mom and Dad!" He screamed at the swarming men. With great force he tried to get past Willie and Sam, but the group of men grabbed the struggling Bobby trying to grab his arms and legs.  
  
Raines came up behind the group so that he was face to face with Lyle. "What is this about Lyle? You know darn well where your parents are."  
  
"Let me go! I want to see my Mom and Dad." Bobby screamed once more ignoring Raines' statement.  
  
Raines shook his head and turned to an assistant. "Get me a hypo." A few minutes later the assistant approached the struggling man.  
  
"Leave me alone! Get away from me!" Bobby screamed as the man jabbed the needle into Bobby's muscular leg. "Let me go....let me go...." The words trailed off as Bobby fell into unconsciousness.  
  
Willie and Sam took position under each of Lyle's arms. Sam shook his head as he passed Raines. "For a minute there he sounded like Jarod." Willie shook his head in agreement as they continued to carry him back to his room.  
  
Raines' face turned to stone. He turned to his assistant. "Get me Sydney. Let him have a look at Lyle. I want an answer as to what's going on."  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Jarod had been all over Angel's Hope looking for Parker. All afternoon. Everywhere he had gone, he had just missed her. He knew a conspiracy was under foot. After missing her for the fifth time, he decided to just sit with Lily for a while. Concern dwelled in his mind constantly. There was only one reason Parker would be avoiding him – something happened that she didn't want him to know about. Something was wrong.  
  
Jarod had picked up Lily's hand as he sat next to the bed. "I know something is up with Parker. She passed out today on the tarmac and had to see the doctor. There's something that they are all keeping from me because a cover up this clean doesn't happen without assistance. But then you know about the secrets that go on here, don't you." He ran his thumb up and down the bottom of her hand as to not disturb the intravenous line. "If you woke up, you could help me figure it out."  
  
Jarod waited to see if there would be a response from Lily. He knew that it was good to keep up communication with coma patients. The theory being that the patient could hear what was spoken around them. Familiar voices could draw the person out of the coma. "Come on Lily. You're a fighter. Move a finger, open your eyes. Let me know that you are in there." Jarod tilted down his head so that his forehead rested on Lily's fingers.  
  
"She's there." A voice came from behind Jarod.  
  
Jarod turned to see a very stoic Becky standing in the doorway of Lily's room. "Can you feel her Becky?"  
  
Becky came fully into the room. "I keep getting flashes of things that happened to her in her childhood. Things that happened in that maze. Pictures of Bobby. They have to be coming from her." Becky looked directly into Jarod's eyes. "I have to believe that they are from her." Becky came and gently placed her hands on Jarod's shoulders. "I can't imagine a world without her."  
  
"Me either." Jarod looked up at Becky. "How are you doing?"  
  
Becky gave a half-hearted smile. "OK. I've been better. I've been keeping busy so I don't have to think about it. I don't even want to think about trying to go to sleep. The idea nauseates me."  
  
Jarod became concerned. He gently put Lily's hand down and turned to face Becky. "You can't stop sleeping. It's not good for you. I know that the idea of having your full memory is frightening, but you will strain your health if you don't sleep. Believe me – I know. Even with all the time I have spent in the sleep deprivation tanks, I have to eventually sleep. Please promise me you will take care of yourself." Jarod looked at Becky with what resembled chestnut brown puppy dog eyes.  
  
Becky cracked half a smile. "Stop worrying Jarod. Save that for Lily. I can handle myself."  
  
Jarod noticed that she hadn't exactly answered his request. He also noticed that she was more withdrawn than her normal self. "You didn't promise me." He looked at her with those eyes again.  
  
Becky swished her hands up in front of Jarod's face. "Stop it with those eyes. You have the same routine as your sister. Think you can get your way with that simple look." With her hands out of the way she could see he was determined to get his answer. "All right. I'll sleep. Happy?" She huffed exasperated at how much like Lily he was.  
  
"Yes." Jarod smiled in triumph. "Regardless of what you say, I have to take care of you little sister."  
  
Becky cracked half a smile. "You sure do want a large family, don't you? You're even taking in strays."  
  
Jarod's face became very angry and he suddenly stood up. "You are not a stray. You are the only family that Lily has ever known. She loves you more than life itself. You are her sister, so that makes you mine. Whether the same blood flows through our veins or not. And if that doesn't satisfy you, when this is all over we will get Angelo and find your biological family. I will make sure you are not left alone."  
  
Tears welled up in Becky's eyes. "I'm sorry Jarod. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just...I don't know what I'm saying...feeling...anymore."  
  
Jarod pulled the shaken woman into a warm embrace. "I know. It's not easy trying to figure out who you are when you're freefalling through space. Remember - I've been doing it for six years. The one thing I've learned is to grab onto some parachutes along the way."  
  
Becky pushed off Jarod's chest. "Like Miss Parker."  
  
Jarod smiled as a touch of red flushed his cheeks. "Yes. Though I'm not sure if she is a parachute or a lead rock some times. So much of our past is intertwined; it's hard to help each other without hurting each other."  
  
Becky looked past Jarod at Lily's peaceful face. "Like Lily and I. I would have stayed in blessed ignorance, but she had to find all the answers. And I couldn't stop the momentum of the force that drove her soul. I could only hang on and go for the ride. Now look where it's gotten us."  
  
A knock on the door brought Becky and Jarod's attention around. Captain Marcus stood peeking in from around the half open door. "Am I intruding? I just wanted to see how Lily and you were doing."  
  
Jarod leaned in and whispered into her ear. "Parachute."  
  
Becky hit him hard in the chest. "No John, you're not intruding. Come on in."  
  
Marcus pushed the door and entered all the way into the room. "Any change?" The man nodded over toward Lily.  
  
Becky noticed that concern showed all over his face and it warmed her inside a little. "No. Joan said the doctors haven't had any motor response from her since she arrived."  
  
He walked up to Becky and gently took her hands. "That's not good is it?"  
  
Becky tried to blink away tears in her eyes, but the cracking of her voice gave her away. "No, it's not good."  
  
Jarod sensed that the couple needed some time alone. "I think I will try and find Parker. It should be time for dinner and I'm sure food is the farthest thing from her mind." He quickly headed for the doorway.  
  
Becky remembered why she had come to find Jarod in the first place. "Jarod wait. I forgot to tell you that Joan has requested that everyone come to the arboretum. She has planned a little dinner for your family. There are dinner clothes set up for you in your room. You have to be there at 6:30 sharp." She hoped that she could pull off this little white lie.  
  
Jarod released a little huff. He had wanted to locate Parker. "I really need to find Parker. Maybe I can stop in after din..."  
  
"No!" Becky exclaimed. "Joan already spoke to her and she will meet you there."  
  
Jarod looked at Becky with confusion. He thought her behavior odd, but then decided that it was just that everyone's nerves were jumpy right now. "All right. I will get dressed and meet everyone in the arboretum." Jarod continued out the door stopping outside his mother's room. There was a sign that said 'Do Not Disturb' hanging on it. Jarod shrugged his shoulders and continued off to his room.  
  
Becky had been peeking from the back of the door. "Thank God he is gone." Becky felt John's arm come down on her shoulder.  
  
"What are you up to?" He asked, a mischievous smile on his face. "I know you are up to something. You were just lying like a rug there a moment ago."  
  
Becky turned, not realizing the close proximity of Marcus's chest. She felt a wave of heat rush through her body, unsure if it was from being so close to the gorgeous man or that she had been caught in her white lie. "Could you tell I was lying? Do you think Jarod could tell?"  
  
He grabbed her hands again. "No, I don't think Jarod noticed. I noticed because when you lie, you shuffle your feet and your ears wiggle a little."  
  
Becky pulled her hands away from Marcus and felt her ears. "My ears do not wiggle."  
  
"They do to. Just like when you came out and asked for me to take you to Blue Cove. And at first you said that you had Dr. Stedman's permission to leave. They were flapping like Dumbo." He tried to suppress the urge to laugh when her face contorted in anger.  
  
Becky hit him in the arm with her full fist. "I do not look like Dumbo."  
  
Marcus grabbed Becky around the waist and pulled her to him. "You're right. You don't look like Dumbo, but are the most beautiful woman I have ever met." He leaned down to try and brush her lips with a kiss.  
  
Becky circumvented his move and pulled herself out of his grasp. She looked over at Lily lying on the bed. A reminder of what had happened and who she was – a killer. "Not here John." She pulled her arms across her chest and rubbed her arms. "You don't really know who I am. I'm not as I seem."  
  
John followed her, sensing her pain. He knew that something had happened on her trip to the Centre. The medical team had told him that she was having nightmares on the way back from that hideous place. He wondered what scars would be left from her visit there – and what ones laid underneath the surface already present. No one was a member of the Angel's Hope family without having something horrific in their past. It's what bound them together. He just hoped that he could help Becky deal with hers. "Aren't we all?"  
  
Becky turned to see the pain in his eyes. She wasn't sure if it was a remembrance of something old or that he was seeing her torment. "You sorta understand all this, don't you?"  
  
"I understand that we all have a past. But we are good people. Good people pulled out of bad experiences. You just have to learn to forgive yourself. Then you can start to heal." He came up next to her again, but instead of holding her he pulled up the chair next to Lily's bed. He then went and got a second chair and sat it right next to the other. He motioned for her to sit. "I can wait for 'us' to happen. I'm in no hurry. Right now we will be with Lily and take care of her." Becky took the seat next to Lily. "When you feel comfortable enough to let me into your life, I'll be here waiting. I am a very patient man." He took the seat next to hers.  
  
Becky looked into his eyes and knew he was telling her the truth. "Thank you." Is all she said. They sat there for hours talking to each other and talking to Lily.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Sydney approached Bobby's room in his normal stride. Inside his stomach a thousand beetles wiggled around, though he kept his demeanor neutral. The Sweepers had come to his home and retrieved him. They had told him that Raines requested his presence on SL-27. That his expertise was needed with Mr. Lyle. Sydney wondered what he was going to be asked to do. Or had Raines found out his secret - that he had released Bobby.  
  
He came to a stop in front of Bobby's room. Willie and Sam flanked both sides of him. He felt the slightest beads of perspiration forming on his forehead. The cool air from the opening of the door created a slight shiver through Sydney's body.  
  
Through the doorway Sydney could see the state of Bobby. He was sitting on the floor in the far corner of the room. His head was buried in his knees, not acknowledging that anyone was entering the room. Sydney stepped into the room far well knowing that his every move was being watched. "Lyle." He waited a few moments. "Lyle." He reiterated.  
  
Bobby raised his head slowly. Tears had been pouring down his face. "Where are my Mom and Dad?"  
  
Sydney quickly crossed the room. He leaned down to the younger man. "What did you say Lyle?"  
  
"Where are my Mom and Dad? I'm all alone." Bobby tried to convey to Sydney, by the way he looked at the man, that he was bluffing. He quickly blinked his left eyelid.  
  
Sydney cocked his head to the side. "Are they missing Lyle?"  
  
He sniffed and wiped his nose with his sleeve. "I woke up here. I don't see my Mom and Dad. Just all these men."  
  
"Do you know where you are Lyle?" Sydney continued to ask his psychological questions.  
  
Bobby shook his head negatively. "No."  
  
Sydney stood up and pulled one of the chairs over. "You are at the Centre. Don't you remember the Centre?"  
  
Again the response was negative.  
  
"Do you remember Mr. Raines? Willie and Sam over there?" Sydney pointed at the two men standing at the door.  
  
Bobby looked past Lyle. "No." He placed his head back down onto his knees.  
  
The door to the room opened, indicating to Sydney that Raines wanted his prescence out of the room. Sydney turned and left the room, Willie and Sam following him. Raines was storming down the hall. He came to a stop in front of Sydney. "Well? What is wrong with him?"  
  
Sydney waited a moment before he spoke. "I would have to surmise that after all the years of chasing Jarod; he has now taken on the personality of a young Jarod. It may be that the discovery of Lily was an overload to his psychie. He has reverted to some form of whether it is his own childhood or that of Jarod's. Whichever he is going to need a lot of therapy in order for him to function. We will have to start like we do in the beginning with all the children. We must create an atmosphere of trust."  
  
Raines growled. "You are trying to tell me that he has the mind of a child?"  
  
Sydney stared Raines straight in the eyes. "What I am telling you is that when you psycholigally play with people's minds, you are bound to end up with disturbed people. Lyle is dealing with his break down in this manner."  
  
Raines' anger beamed off him like rays of light. "My subjects do not have psychotic episodes."  
  
Sydney looked coolly at Raines. "Tell that to Alex and Kyle."  
  
Raines growled again as he turned to leave. "Take care of him Sydney." He continued down the hall. He spoke without turning. "I'll be watching."  
  
Sydney looked at Bobby's door. He thought to himself. "I hope you know what you're doing Bobby."  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Jarod walked to the arboretum in his long usual strides. He was over dressed in his opinion in a tuxedo with a white silk shirt accenting the black of the garment. He would never have dressed this way for a dinner with his parents. Though he knew without conceit that he did look exceptionally handsome in the clothing.  
  
He came to the arboretum doors and pulled on the handle. Jarod walked into the room and was shocked. There were white twinkling lights in the trees, soft lighting, sounds of crickets and nightlife, and a beautiful table set in the middle of the room. There were two candles, fine china, and crystal glasses - just like the night he and Parker... And then in the middle of all the beauty was Parker. Dressed in a black strapless evening gown.  
  
Jarod's heart jumped a beat. He found it hard to take in a breath. She was so beautiful, as if she were sparkling along with the thousand points of light in the room.  
  
Parker sexily slithered up to the stunned man. "Shall we pick up where we left off?"  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Love can be tender. Love can bring pain.  
  
Love can cause sorrow. Love must sustain. 


	77. Secret Revelations

Anger is a potent fuel.

Pain a tremendous motivator.  
The Players have lived through a life of anger and pain.

Will it help them to survive or be destroyed?

* * *

He came to the arboretum doors and pulled on the handle. Jarod walked into the room and was shocked. There were white twinkling light in the trees, soft lighting, sounds of crickets and nightlife, and a beautiful table set in the middle of the room. There were two candles, fine china, and crystal glasses - just like the night he and Parker... And then in the middle of all the beauty was Parker. Dressed in a black strapless evening gown.

Jarod's heart skipped a beat. He found it hard to take in a breath. She was so beautiful, as if she were sparkling along with the thousand points of light in the room.

Parker sexily slithered up to the stunned man. "Shall we pick up where we left off?"

Jarod regained his senses and placed his hands on his hips. "I have been looking all over this place for you. Why were you avoiding me? What's going on?"

Parker gave a little huff and turned so that Jarod could see the drop the back of her dress took exposing her soft skin. "What an answer." She walked away, with her hips shifting softly to the left and right. She made her way to the table.

Jarod had trouble keeping his mind on the subject. "Don't do that. You're driving me crazy."

Parker turned to look over her shoulder and took her most seductive pose. "That's the idea."

"After six years you have become very good at it. Where is everyone else? Becky said there would be a dinner for my parents." He asked as he approached the table.

Parker stood by her chair purposely waiting for Jarod to pull her chair. "Let's just say that was a little white lie." She pinched her fingers together. "Just a little."

Jarod smiled. "You little devil. Now you have Becky doing your bidding?" He approached her as if he was going to pull her chair out, but instead he grabbed her around the waist and locked his arms. "Now would you like to tell me what's going on?"

Instead of fighting the hold, Parker slid her body close to Jarod's. "What makes you think anything is going on?"

Jarod let his forehead fall onto the top of her head. "I have known you since you were ten years old. I know when you are scheming something. Is there something wrong with your health that you do not want me to know? You weren't just overwhelmed to see me when you passed out there on the tarmac."

Parker brought her head up and kissed him. She caressed his closed soft lips with her tongue till he opened his mouth and she could fully kiss him. She conveyed to him all the passion she was feeling at the moment, pulling his body even closer to herself as to ignite a fire that could consume them both.

Jarod felt himself pull Parker closer to him. Trying to merge them into one body. He had missed her so much. Had wanted her with him when he brought Lily back. A comforting shoulder in which to cry on. He pulled back from the kiss. "You aren't going to tell me are you?"

Parker gave a small pout. "A kiss like that and you're still hounding. I'm hurt."

With a small sigh, Jarod shook his head. "All right. I'll play your game. Will you promise to tell me later?"

Parker smiled. "Promise." She pulled him back into another kiss.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Debbie's eyes fluttered as she tried to pull herself into consciousness. Everything around her was blurry. She turned her head tried to focus on the figure standing to the right of her. It was someone in a lab coat, a woman if Debbie wasn't mistaken.

A voice from behind her announced, "Dr. Robinson, she's waking up."

The woman walked closer to the bed. "Hello Miss Broots, my name is Dr. Robinson and I'll be working with you."

Debbie's vision came into focus and she could see she was in a room with no windows. The gray drab walls gave the room an eerie look with the subdued lighting that showed off the ceiling. "Where am I?" She said with a raspy voice. Her throat was sore and she felt incredibly thirsty.

Robinson smiled. "You are at the Centre my dear."

Debbie saw the woman's fake smile and did not trust her. "Where is my Dad?"

"Mr. Broots is not here right now. He told us to watch over you and for you to do as you are told." The woman went to write something on the clipboard that she had in her hands when Debbie pushed herself straight up.

"I remember men dragging me out of my house. My father was trying to get to me. I don't think he wants me here." Debbie eyed the woman up and down. "And I'm certainly not going to listen to you. I don't even know you. Where is Miss Parker?"

The doctor fidgeted nervously. "Well...she's...not here right now." The woman stammered. "She's with your father."

Debbie pushed herself up out of bed, getting a wave of dizziness. "Then I know that I'm not supposed to be here. If my Dad couldn't come, then he would send Miss Parker. And since you can't produce either of them, then I'm not doing anything you say." Debbie crossed her arms across her chest in defiance.

"Well." The doctor said indignant. "We'll just see about that, won't we." The doctor turned on her heels and huffed through the door that opened as she approached it. The assistant followed suit.

Debbie quickly ran to the door, but it closed as abruptly as it had opened. She knew then that she was being watched. She had overheard her father say once that the Centre had eyes everywhere. Debbie looked suspiciously around the room. There were cameras - they were just hidden. Fear started creeping into the pit of her stomach. Followed by an urge to start screaming and run around in hysterics. Debbie looked around the room, her eyes darting from one spot to another. She was just about to verbalize the emotions inside her, when she stopped herself.

Debbie sat herself calmly on the bed. She took a deep breath into her lungs and then slowly let it out. Miss Parker wouldn't run around the room screaming her head off - at least not hysterically. She would give them a stare that would chill them to their bones. That's what she was going to do.

Pushing herself up off the cot, she took long, slow strides to the middle of the room. Debbie positioned her legs in the stance that she remembered seeing Miss Parker take, crossing her arms across her chest. "I want to see my father and Miss Parker." She screamed out into the room. "And I want to see them NOW!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The door to Lily's room opened slowly. The dark figure stepped into the room. Becky had just left and was heading for the music room. She had had an urge to bang on her piano and John had wanted to hear her play.

Mark came into the light that spilled around Lily's bed. His clothes were disheveled and the smell of whiskey was on his breath. He wasn't normally a drinking man, but the events over the last month had sent him spiraling out of control.

He took the seat that Becky had left by the side of the bed. He gently picked up Lily's hand and held it to his face, feeling the warmth of her hand on his cheek. Though he tried to fight it, tears slipped slowly down to meet the tips of Lily's fingers.

"Why? Why did you have to go back there?" He gently put her hand down by her side. "You could have told me what you had planned. You didn't have to send me back here and go off to the Centre alone. I would have followed you anywhere." He moved a piece of her hair that had fallen on her face. "Even into the gates of Hell."

He straightened out her blankets. "We were happy here. Had our life together. Until your brother showed up and ruined everything." Mark's face twisted into rage. "Got you looking into your past. Finding out you had a family. But you had your family here. Becky, Joan, and I were all you needed. So what if you had biological family out there. We loved you here. Your life is here. Let your brother go back there and fight the battle. Wake up and stay here with me."

"It'll never happen that way." A voice came from behind Mark.

Mark spun to see a young man standing in the doorway. "Who are you? This is a private room." He spat out at the man.

Ethan entered into the room more fully. "This is my sister's room and I will come in here whenever I feel like it."

Mark shook his head. "You're not Jarod."

Ethan came around the other side of the bed. "No, I'm Ethan. You know - one of those biological family members she doesn't need."

Mark's face became sullen. "I didn't mean anything...I just wanted her...ahhh I don't know what I want. Except for her to wake up and marry me."

Ethan eyed the man suspiciously. "I don't think alienating her family is going to win you over points. And I think getting married will be the farthest thing from her mind." Ethan looked over at her sadly. "She'll want revenge. Retribution. Payment for what Raines has done to us."

Now Mark's fury was showing again. "See – that's what I mean. This isn't about her, it's about all of you. Your fight with the Centre. She didn't even know the Centre existed before a couple of months ago. This is your family's fight, not ours."

Ethan leaned over the bed, his clenched fists sitting next to Lily. "Lily is our family. She was the one abducted by Raines. She was the one tortured as a child. The only reason she didn't know we existed was because of you. And Raines – if you wish to be put in the same category." Ethan's stare could kill.

"Don't put me in the same league with Raines. I'm not a monster." Mark was now also leaning over Lily's bed. "All I want is what's best for Lily."

Ethan stood his ground. "All you want is what's best for you, not Lily. We want her to wake up because we are concerned for her health. Because we care about her, not because we want anything from her."

"You....." Mark was about to grab Ethan, when his body was yanked from behind.

Joan Stedman pulled Mark away from Lily's bed. "What do you think you are doing? Have you lost your senses? This is a hospital room, not a boxing ring."

Mark pulled his arm out of Stedman's grasp. "I was here visiting with Lily, when this guy shows up and starts making trouble."

Ethan glared at the man and then turned his attention to Dr. Stedman. "Dr. Stedman. I'm sorry for the disturbance. We should have known better, but he was insulting my family. I could not stand here and let him say horrible things about them."

Joan turned back toward Mark. "Is this true? Were you speaking ill of the O'Connor's?"

Mark glared past Joan back at Ethan. "I was having a private conversation with Lily. I didn't intend for anyone else to hear what..."

Joan cut him off. "Were you insulting the O'Connor's Mark? Bottom line."

Mark let out a huge exhale. "Yes. All right. I was."

It was then that Joan smelt the alcohol on his breath. "Have you been drinking?" Mark lowering his head was all Stedman needed to know. "This is inexcusable. You do not come to the medical wing half drunk and start a brawl in one of my patient's rooms. Let alone the fact that it's Lily's room. She doesn't need to be hearing this kind of ruckus. You can be causing her unneeded stress."

Mark raised his head. "I'm sorry Joan."

Joan stepped over to Lily's bed to check her pulse. "Go to your room Mark and sleep it off. And don't come back here till you're in a calmer manner. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am." He said, then turned to exit the room.

Joan looked up at Ethan. "In his defense Ethan, this is a very difficult situation for him."

Ethan's anger was subsiding. "It still doesn't give him the right to tell Lily she doesn't need us. She needs us as much as we need her. I know she grew up here, but I'm trying to piece back together our family. It's what my Mother wants."

The doctor placed Lily's hand down and went around to Ethan. She tenderly ran her hand up and down Ethan's arm. "I know Ethan. It's a difficult situation for everyone. What Mark doesn't realize is that we don't need to take sides. There is enough love for everyone."

Ethan smiled. "You understand."

Stedman positively acknowledged Ethan. "Yes. I know when your Mother started Angel's Hope that foremost she wanted to reunite the children with their families. I guess I have failed her in that sense. My fear of the Centre finding us led me to shelter them rather than finding their families. For this, I am truly sorry."

Ethan thought for a moment. "You didn't fail her. You were doing what you thought needed to be done. Sometimes I wonder what things would have been if she had lived." Ethan looked at Lily, saddened by her appearance. "Will she wake up Dr. Stedman?"

The change in the direction of the conversation threw Joan for a moment. She let out a soft sigh. "I don't know Ethan. There was a lot of damage. The doctors say the one thing that may have saved her was that Raines' doctors performed the surgery. They knew the schematics of the chip and he probably knew how to remove it with the least amount of damage."

"So in the end her going back to the Centre was a good thing. She at least doesn't have to live with the chip anymore." Ethan looked over at Stedman and realized that the idea of Lily without the chip did not please her. "What's wrong?"

Joan shook her head. "Nothing Ethan, just my foolishness. I was thinking that living without the chip also meant that she had to live with the memories. And the idea of her having to relive that nightmare life makes me sad."

"But it was her choice. No more secrets, no more lies. That's how Jarod looks at it. And she'll have all of us to help her through it. Her whole family." Ethan patted Lily's hand. "You included."

"Thank you Ethan for understanding." She looked at Lily once more. "But I think we should let Lily get her rest." She took a good look at Ethan. "You should get some sleep too. You look exhausted. And that's doctor's orders."

Ethan chuckled. It was funny to be listening to someone order him around again. "Fine Dr. Stedman. I'll be back to check on her tomorrow. Goodnight." Ethan swung around the bed and headed for his room.

Joan stood at the end of Lily's bed looking up at her. "Please wake up soon. Everyone here needs you." She headed toward the door, but stopped suddenly. "Including me." She added before heading out the door herself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Parker pulled back from the kiss and led Jarod to the table. She pulled up the plate covers to reveal two dishes of shrimp fettuccine. She pulled the cover off of a plate in the middle of the table and revealed cooked oysters.

"Well. Cooked oysters. From what I have read, they are an aphrodisiac." Jarod said with a sly smile.

Parker smiled back. "I love an intelligent man." She motioned for Jarod to sit down. Instead Jarod came up behind her and blew into her ear sending shivers running down Parker's spine. "Oohhh." She purred. He brushed a kiss against her neck and then held out the chair for her to sit. "I could stand for once if you weren't such a gentleman."

"I am a gentle man in all things. Would you not agree?" He whispered into her ear as he continued past her to his side of the table. He sat down across from her mesmerizing her features in the flickering candlelight. He drank in her beauty, and it nourished his tired soul.

Parker's grin widened. "I can certainly agree." She noticed though Jarod was all smiles, that the events of the last couple of weeks had taken its toll. He had black circles under his eyes and he generally looked tired. "How is Lily?"

Jarod's smile faded as he realized that Parker could tell he was concerned. "She hasn't spoken a word since we found her and she hasn't moved." Jarod didn't want to go on for fear that he would ruin the evening that Parker had so desperately put together without him knowing.

"She'll wake up Jarod. She wouldn't leave her family when she has just found them." Parker stretched across the table and placed her hand on top of Jarod's hand. "Besides, she's like her brother – stubborn. Lily won't give up that easy."

Jarod shook his head. "I don't know if sheer determination can overcome the physical injuries this time Parker. When she died in Lyle's arms, I thought I was going to die with her." He pulled his hands in fists up to his face and rested his forehead on them. "I just felt so empty." His insides wrenched as the memory vividly flashed in Jarod's mind.

Parker got up and came around the table. The night wasn't going as she had hoped, but she knew that Jarod needed her support now more than ever. She put her arms around Jarod. "At least she wasn't alone when all this happened. She had Lyle with her. Though I'm not sure how much of a comfort that would be."

Jarod kept his head down and spoke into his fists. "He says that he loves her."

Parker's eyes grew big and surprise showed all over her face. "He said that he loved someone? Lyle doesn't love anyone but Lyle."

Jarod finally lifted his head. Remnants of tears showed on his cheeks. "He says that he is Bobby now. Angelo says to believe him. All I can see is the man who killed my baby brother. All Lily could see was the little boy she left behind. And all that Lyle seems to see is the little girl who he helped escape the Centre. They don't even know each other anymore. It's just all so crazy."

Parker thought for a moment before she started to tell Jarod what she knew. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I think Angelo is right."

Jarod looked up at her. "How can you say that? You above anyone else know what Lyle is capable of."

"Remember when you wanted to leave and I was so adamant that you not go." Parker watched as Jarod nodded his acknowledgement. "After you left, I started hearing the voices. And I just got a feeling that something had changed...I'm not sure I can explain this right. Released would be the word that best describes the feeling. I think is was Bobby being unleashed, but I can't be perfectly sure."

Jarod closed his eyes and held his temple trying to sort out everything that was happening. "So you think that something triggered Lyle to turn into Bobby."

Parker contemplated what Jarod had said, but shook her head negatively. "What if it isn't a Dr. Jerkyl/Mr. Hyde type change? What if he just remembered? Like Lily."

Jarod suddenly opened his eyes. "He would have had to have someone who could undo Raines' handy work."

Parker smiled. "Sydney."

Jarod looked up at her. "You could be right. Sydney could have found access to Lyle so that he could help Lily. He wouldn't want Raines using him against her."

Parker elaborated. "So maybe he found a way into SL27. Hypnotized Lyle like you did Lily."

"And voila – out comes Bobby. I don't know Parker. It's far fetched." Jarod wanted to desperately grab onto the hope that Lyle would actually try to help them. Help Debbie.

"Not any more far fetched than you finding Lily after all these years, hypnotizing her, and having everything transpire that has happened." Parker straightened up and walked away from Jarod.

Jarod sensed her distress and got up from the table. He went and wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong?"

The pain she was feeling in her heart stung like a thousand needles. "If he has remembered who he is Jarod, then my twin brother has come home. When I found out that I had a brother, I was beyond shock. Then when I thought it was Angelo, I quietly was happy. I know I haven't always treated Angelo the greatest, but I was actually hoping it was him. But then I found out it was Lyle and my stomach turned. And instead of love for my brother, I had only hate." Parker hesitated before she continued on. "How am I supposed to replace that hate with love. Or even like. But it's almost like we will be given a second chance."

Jarod remembered the night that Lyle shot Kyle. He had been holding a gun aimed at Parker. Wanted to kill Jarod. Ended up killing Kyle. Without a blink of an eye. "Like Lily and me. Fate has a way of kicking you in the ass sometimes. I don't think I could stand him being with Lily. Lily wasn't there when Kyle died. She never knew him. She can't be objective."

Parker snuggled further into Jarod's body. She liked the warmness of being so close to him. "She tried telling us. That she didn't see him the same way we did. We couldn't...wouldn't understand what she was feeling. Anymore than she can feel the way we feel about him. It's a paradox." Parker felt Jarod's body slump a little behind her.

"It's not going to matter if she doesn't wake up." Jarod gently placed his chin on Parker's shoulder.

Parker turned so that she could wrap her arms around his chest. "She is going to wake up. She just needs a little time to heal Jarod. I won't let you give up hope. Not now."

Jarod heard the disappointment in her voice. "Enough of this. You brought me here for a wonderful surprise and I've ruined everything with my melancholy mood. Let me make it up to you." Jarod leaned down and kissed Parker.

Parker relaxed in his arms and let her body melt into his. She brought her arms up and around Jarod's neck, pulling him into a deeper kiss. After a few moments she pulled away from him, looking at the contentment in his eyes. Right then and there she knew everything was going to be all right. No matter what happened, he would be there to protect them.

Jarod saw Parker's far off look. "What are you thinking about?"

Parker smiled. "When you wrote _The Saddest Little Valentine_, you made me a Princess in a palace."

Jarod smirked. "I don't remember using the word _Princess_."

Parker waved him off with her hand. "Whatever. I interpreted it as a Princess. Well at the end of the story, when you had me cut off by the soldiers of the great palace, I imagined just for a moment what it would be like to have a white knight come in and rescue me."

Jarod's smile increased more. "I don't remember the name Parker anywhere in the book. Why did you assume it was you I was writing about?" He couldn't help but snicker when he saw her face frown.

Parker hit him in the chest. "You know darn well you wrote that book about me." She started pummeling his chest with her fists.

Jarod caught her hands after she had hit him half a dozen times. "All right, all right. It was about you. It's always been about you. And me." He pulled her into another kiss. This time conveying the need and urgency he was feeling. He needed her, wanted her.

Parker pulled away from him. "Jarod. I have something important to tell you."

Jarod let out a little sigh. Talking was not what he had in mind, but he knew she had orchestrated all this for a reason. "I kinda figured that. What's the matter? Why did you go through all this trouble." A thought popped into his head. "Are you all right? Is something wrong with your health?"

Parker's face slid into a sly smile. "Open the ice cream bucket."

Jarod looked at Parker with that mischievous look he could sometimes get. "The ice cream bucket. You brought me all the way down here, hid from me all day." Jarod made his way over to the item. "Just for me to look in the ice cream bucket." He lowered his hand and removed the cover to the bucket. He immediately spotted something lying on top of the ice cream container. "What's this?" He picked up the soft lump and examined it more closely. As he unfolded it, a confused look came over his face. "Baby booties?"

A lump formed in Parker's stomach making it flip-flop in anticipation of what was coming. She shook her head in acknowledgement.

Jarod looked at Parker for a moment and then noticed Parker's slight movement of her hands over her abdomen. Realization hit him like a lead brick. "A baby?"

Parker shook her head yes. She also realized that she was trembling slightly waiting for his reaction. "Well? Say something."

Jarod abruptly sat down on the floor. "A baby. I'm a father." He suddenly realized he was having difficulty breathing.

* * *

Surprises are the spice of life.

A jolt of fresh spring air.  
The Players must learn to savor the moment.

Or lose themselves to despair.


	78. The Contemplation of Life

Surprises are the spice of life.

A jolt of fresh spring air.  
The Players must learn to savor the moment.

Or lose themselves to despair.

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Parker pulled away from him. "Jarod. I have something important to tell you."

Jarod let out a little sigh. Talking was not what he had in mind, but he knew she had orchestrated all this for a reason. "I kinda figured that. What's the matter? Why did you go through all this trouble?" A thought popped into his head. "Are you all right? Is something wrong with your health?"

Parker's face slid into a sly smile. "Open the ice cream bucket."

Jarod looked at Parker with that mischievous look he could sometimes get. "The ice cream bucket. You brought me all the way down here, hid from me all day." Jarod made his way over to the item. "Just for me to look in the ice cream bucket." He lowered his hand and removed the cover to the bucket. He immediately spotted something lying on top of the ice cream container. "What's this?" He picked up the soft lump and examined it more closely. As he unfolded it, a confused look came over his face. "Baby booties?"

A lump formed in Parker's stomach making it flip-flop in anticipation of what was coming. She shook her head in acknowledgement.

Jarod looked at Parker for a moment and then noticed Parker's slight movement of her hands over her abdomen. Realization hit him like a lead brick. "A baby?"

Parker shook her head yes. She also realized that she was trembling slightly waiting for his reaction. "Well? Say something."

Jarod abruptly sat down on the floor. "A baby. I'm a father." He suddenly realized he was having difficulty breathing.

"Jarod!" Parker screamed as she ran to the fallen Pretender. She came up and wrapped her arms around his back. She could feel his labored intake. "Breathe Jarod, breathe. Deep breaths."

Jarod turned his head so that he could see her face. Panic filled her eyes. He brought his breathing under control. "A baby?" He asked again, making sure he had fully comprehended what Parker was telling him. A little Parker. That thought sparked a firestorm of emotions inside Jarod. Anger. Loathing. This baby would never be a Parker. It would be part of both of them, but it would never inherit the Parker curse.

Parker saw the stream of emotions pour through Jarod. "You're not happy." Parker said it as a statement, but there was an underlying tone of sadness.

Jarod blinked a few times. "Are you crazy?" He reached up and grabbed her arm, pulling her so that she ended up in his lap. He placed his hand gently on her stomach. "This is a miracle. Something I thought I would never be able to experience. I took care of a baby once for a Mom who had been hurt, but I had to give him back. Not just because he belonged with his mother, but because of the way I lived..." He looked up into her eyes and saw the pain there. Parker went to say something, but Jarod put his finger over her mouth. "Sssh. We don't need to rehash old stuff. We have celebrating to do."

Parker smiled. "I had the chef make the same dinner as the last time. I know you enjoyed it, even though it was cold when we ate it." Parker went to get up, but Jarod put his arms around her and didn't let her budge. "Jarod. I can't get up if you don't let go."

Jarod got this little boy smirk on his face. "I said we had celebrating to do. And the pasta did taste good cold." Jarod pulled Parker into a full passionate kiss. Parker's body melted into his like it was meant for them to be one now and forever.

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Lily's room was still, minus the beep, beep, beep of the heart monitor registering her consistent heart beat. The door slowly opened and the visitors quietly tip toed toward her bed.

It was the first time that Margaret and Charles had had a chance to see their daughter. Doctors and the others had been busy coming in and out all day, but Margaret was selfish. She had wanted their privacy when she got to see her daughter for the first time. No eyes watching and waiting for her reaction. No one to hold her and comfort her, except Charles. This was to be their time, as husband and wife, to confront the reality of what they had been told. That Lily was Jarod's twin sister and that she may never wake up.

Margaret tenderly moved a piece of hair out of her face. "You have hair like your sister, except with a little curl. You must get that from your Dad." She instinctively moved her body up against Charles. He was her rock. Especially now that her family was in the worst danger than they had been in over thirty years. They were all in one place and Jarod was with them. And she knew the Centre would do anything to get Jarod back...and now also Lily. "She has your eyes Charles. And your strong chin."

Charles put his arms lovingly around his wife. "I bet she has your smile. The kind of smile that can light up a room."

Margaret found herself blushing a little. It had been a long time since she had gotten a compliment from her husband. She was so glad to be in his arms now. But the gnawing fear was biting at her all the same. "What are we going to do Charles? We're looking at her as if she were a newborn baby, not a forty three-year-old woman. What if she wakes up and wants nothing to do with us? She's had a whole other life. One that did not include us. I don't think I could stand finding her and then losing her all over again."

Charles gave his wife a small hug. "From what Jarod has told me, she was very interested in finding her family." Margaret's face lit up. He didn't want to dash her hopes, but he had fears of his own. "But, we don't know if what happened at the Centre or if the brain injury will change that. Or she may wake up with no recollection of who she is, then we will work together to help her piece her life back together."

Margaret let out a nervous chuckle. "How are we suppose to help put her life together, when our lives are such a mess? Look around Charles. We have our son who is running away from a place that tortured him for most of his life, a daughter who got pushed out a window because she was searching for her brothers, a boy who was born for the shear purpose to become a pawn, and a young man who has lost the only parents he ever knew; only to find out his real family are running fugitives." She pushed away from Lily's bed and Charles. "Not to mention the two of us - we haven't see each other in years, we've been shot at, almost killed...I'm not even sure we know each other anymore Charles. So many years...so much pain..." Tears fell freely down Margaret's cheeks.

Charles grabbed his wife and put his arms back around her, "Margaret, calm down. It doesn't matter how many years have gone by, I still love you as much as I did the day we were married. We didn't change, the circumstances did. We've done what we've had to do to survive, to protect our family." Charles nodded toward Lily. "Just like them. They did what they had to, just to survive." Charles lifted his wife's chin, then took his thumb and wiped her tears away. "And I'm not going to lie to you Margaret. What they had to endure wasn't pretty. I've seen Jarod's DSA's from the Centre."

"Ethan was telling me that Jarod has horrendous nightmares. I wish we had been able to get to them sooner. Been able to protect them. Damn Charles, it was our job to protect them." Margaret started with a whole new set of tears as she buried her head in her husband's chest.

Charles tried to make her smile. "Margaret, I have never heard you swear in your life."

Margaret unburied her head and look up through tear dropped eyelashes. "You haven't been around for a while. I have a whole new vocabulary, most of which I'm not sure I want you to hear." She tried her best to give him a smile.

He gave her a tender hug. "It's all right if you sound like an Irish truck driver. I'll still love you."

Margaret thumped him on the chest. "You brute."

Margaret slumped a little and Charles caught her. His face took on a stern look. "OK. I think you have had enough for the night. Go give your daughter a kiss and then I'm putting you straight to bed."

Margaret went over and gave Lily a kiss on the cheek. "Sleep sweet my baby girl." She moved over to allow Charles a chance to give Lily a kiss on her head. Margaret looked up at her husband. "Put me to bed huh? Would you like to join me?"

Charles feigned being shocked. "Why Mrs. O'Connor, are you trying to seduce me?" He tried to hold a straight face.

"Always." Margaret smiled back up at her husband and headed for the door. "While we were here I had Joan move a larger bed into our room."

Charles' face turned into a nervous and concerned look. "Margaret. I'm not sure you should be..."

Margaret turned and looked at her husband over her shoulder. "Then just lay there and hold me." She turned back to open the door and spoke without turning back. "And never let me go."

Charles quickly came up behind his wife. "I promise." He whispered in her ear. The couple retired to their room.

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The door to Debbie's room opened slowly. She snapped her head to attention at the opening of the door. Miss Parker had always told her to observe everything, keep alert, and never let them know you're nervous. At the time she had not really understood what she had been talking about, but this whole situation was proving her right. Neither her father nor Miss Parker were going to be able to get her out of this one. She had been kidnapped.

Debbie heard the squeaking first and then saw the hideous looking man enter her room. He looked drawn and the tube in his nose showed that he had difficulty breathing on his own. But something in her gut told her this man was dangerous.

"Is there a problem Miss Broots?" Raines wheezed after the door closed.

"Yes." She said calmly. "I wish to speak to my father and Miss Parker."

"Unfortunately, they are unavailable at this time. They are on a secret mission and their communications are on silent." The man tried to begin weaving his web.

Debbie immediately recognized the game. "My father, on a secret mission. He gets a nosebleed going to the grocery store. I doubt he is on a _secret mission_. Now Miss Parker I might buy." Debbie started to walk around Raines. "Who are you?"

Raines watched Debbie carefully. "I am your father's boss, Mr. Raines."

Debbie turned once more to Raines. "I thought Miss Parker's father was in charge of the Centre?" Though Debbie had been told by Miss Parker her father was in charge, she had heard her father mention this Mr. Raines before. And the conversation about him had not been pleasant.

Raines drew in a long breath. "Mr. Parker is no longer in charge of the Centre, I am. It would do you well to remember that. While your father is gone, you will be in my care and do as I request."

Debbie eyed the man suspiciously. "Like what?"

Before Raines could answer, the door to the room opened. Sydney strode in with his usual straight faced look. "Mr. Raines. I heard that Miss Broots was staying with us. I thought since I work so closely with Mr. Broots, she would feel more comfortable with me conducting her tests." Sydney gave a quick wink to Debbie as Raines turned his air tank around to face Sydney.

"I did not call you in on this case Sydney." Raines wheezed once he was situated to face the psychiatrist.

"I was on my way to visit Mr. Lyle, when I heard that Debbie was a little uneased. I thought my services would help to further the situation along. I do have extensive experience with children." Sydney tried to persuade the irritated man. He turned to Debbie. "Would you feel more comfortable with me conducting your tests Debbie?"

Debbie evaluated the two men. She knew that her father looked up to Sydney, while he disliked Mr. Raines. "I'll cooperate only if Sydney is here with me. I'm not sure what kind of tests you're talking about, but I'm not doing anything unless you're here." Debbie took her Miss Parker stance again.

Raines' first impulse was to have Sydney removed and have the Sweepers work on Miss Broots cooperation. But in the end decided letting Sydney deal with the precocious girl would attain more data. "Fine. Sydney will head the psychological testing. I expect full cooperation Miss Broots, or there will be consequences." Raines turned and went to leave.

Debbie went to say something, but Sydney put his finger over his lips signaling Debbie to not say anything further. Once Raines had left, he went and pulled out a chair from Debbie's desk. "Why don't you have a seat Debbie?" Sydney sat on the desk positioning himself so that he was not in camera view.

Debbie cautiously came over and sat in the chair. "Where is my Dad?" Debbie asked feeling tears welling up in the corner of her eyes.

Sydney dropped the volume of his voice. "He was injured when you were taken." Sydney could see the terror stream across Debbie's face. "It's all right Debbie. He is with a friend of your father and mine. His name is Jarod and he is taking good care of him. They are going to come for you. I'm sure of it. But we have to play along here to buy them time. Do you understand?" He lifted to voice. "Now Miss Broots, I will set up a series of simulations for you to perform. We will start first thing in the morning." Sydney waited anxiously for Debbie's response.

"Tomorrow morning would be fine Sydney. I'll do whatever, what did you call them?" She tried to suppress a smile.

"Simulations." Sydney added delighted that Debbie had picked up the game so quickly. "It is a type of game. Make believe."

"Then simulations I will do. Anything for a friend of Daddy's." She gave Sydney a huge fake smile.

"Very good Debbie. I'll see you in the morning then. Good night." Sydney got up, ran a hand up and down Debbie's arm for comfort and excused himself. He had to check on Lyle.

Debbie watched as the door closed behind Sydney. She wondered if she had just saved herself from the devil or just sold herself to him. She threw herself onto the bed, praying that her father would come and get her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jarod and Parker made love for hours. Just when he thought that he wouldn't be able to move another muscle, Parker would do something and they would be off again. After the last protest, he had finally convinced Parker that it was best for her and the baby to eat and then get straight to bed. He loved the way her face lit up when he called her an expectant mother.

The reality of the situation was that he was terrified. He knew nothing about expectant mothers. He knew biologically what was happening, but he had never studied this simulation. Then more terror hit him as he realized this wasn't a simulation, this was real. Parker was going to have his child.

She had wanted him to come with her and he had promised that after he made one stop, he would hold her all night long. But he needed to do something first. And Parker was becoming more in tune with him, so much so that she knew he needed to do this. Knew where he needed to go.

Jarod pushed the door open to the dimly lit room. He was just about to enter fully, when a nurse appeared behind him. "Hello Jarod. I'm sorry, she has had quite a few visitors today already. Dr. Stedman has asked that we keep everyone out now." She tried to give him a sympathetic smile.

Jarod's face showed his concern. "Has she gotten worse? Were there complications?"

The nurse shook her head. "No. It's just that Dr. Stedman doesn't want her overtaxed. She needs her rest."

Jarod gave her the benefit of his best puppy eyed expression. "Just a few minutes. Please. I won't stay long." He batted his long lashes innocently.

The nurse looked around. "You're going to get me fired. Just a few minutes. I mean it." She shook her finger at him as she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Jarod went and pulled a chair next to his sister's bed. "So I hear you've had a busy day." He gently took his sister's hand. "There are many people here who love you. Who are waiting to meet you. All you have to do is open your eyes." His head sank as his plead went unrecognized. "I have some news for you. I finally caught up with Parker. She had a surprise for me and boy was it a biggie." Jarod waited to see if there was any movement. "It seems you are going to be an aunt." Jarod laughed to himself. "See what you've done. You locked Parker and me in the arboretum. A very explosive situation, but then you knew that didn't you. You saw past the anger and heartache. Saw the love we...she didn't want to acknowledge. But you saw right through it. Even with your world crumbling around you - you still saw the love inside both of us."

Jarod tapped her hand gently. "Can you find the love inside of you now? Find it within yourself to come back to us. I know that both of us have been through some horrible things in our lifetimes. But you have a niece or nephew who needs you now." Jarod took his hand and placed it on Lily's stomach. "You have a child of your own now that needs you."

Jarod leaned his head against Lily. "I can't do this without you Lily. I'm so scared. I have to protect them all. I don't want to do that alone. I want you by my side. The way it was meant to be." Tears ran down Jarod's face. "I don't know how I can be so happy and so sad at the same time. Please help me Lily. Or tell me how to help you."

There was a tap on the door. "Times up Jarod." The nurse said as she opened the door and waited for him to exit.

Jarod got up and leaned down, brushing a kiss on Lily's forehead. "I love you." He whispered. Jarod gave a nod to the nurse and exited the room. He had a promise to Parker to keep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Weeks went by......the two camps readied for war.

Parker spent most of her day training and drilling the teams at her disposal. Jarod spent most of his time trying to get Parker to slow down and take it easy. Intermittently he would spend time with Lily, either reading to her or trying some sort of stimulation to get Lily to wake. Broots spent his days in rehab, hoping to get well enough to attempt a rescue for Debbie. Debbie spent her days performing the various simulations that Sydney set up for her. Sydney was surprised at how well Debbie adapted to the situations given to her. He saw a new Pretender emerging before him.

Bobby kept up his charade - bobbing between a show of psychotic episodes and catatonic trances. Every so often Angelo would come and bring him updates. Bobby feared that Angelo would get captured. He was Bobby's only lifeline as to what was happening with Debbie. Bobby's time with Sydney always involved Sweepers being present, so Bobby had no way to communicate what was happening to Sydney.

The O'Connor's spent their days trying to get reacquainted and tending to Lily.

And Lily lay there. Day after day. Not moving, not speaking, not anything. The doctors were worried that the lack of activity was a sign of brain damage. Damage that she would not recover from. Lily's days were filled with tests and therapy.

Parker was in a training exercise when she could have sworn she heard her mother's voice. She looked around, but shook the feeling off.

Catherine - "Lily, you will have to make your decision soon."

Lily - "I decide if I live or die."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The scales of Life are in the balance.

The Players contribute the stones.

Each placing their piece carefully.

But will it tip and fall?


	79. An Inner Sense

The scales of Life are in the balance.

The Players contribute the stones.

Each placing their piece carefully.

But will it tip and fall?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Parker was in a training exercise when she could have sworn she heard her mother's voice. She looked around, but shook the feeling off.

Catherine - "Lily, you will have to make your decision soon."

Lily - "I decide if I live or die."

Parker looked around again. She had a feeling that she wasn't alone and it had nothing to do with the group of people training in the room around her. "Are you here Mother?" she whispered into the air.

Lily – "I'm tired Catherine."

Catherine – "I know." Parker felt a loving warmth swarm around her. "I will always be with all of you. No matter what happens." Parker was sure she felt a kiss brush her cheek. "I love you my beautiful daughter."

In the last few weeks Parker had missed her mother, especially now that she was in uncharted territory. Jarod was driving her crazy. He had immediately gotten every book on pregnancy he could find and was lecturing her on what she should or should not be doing. He had also brought her every combination of food he could think of; asking her if she had any weird cravings. She knew that she loved him, but ice cream and Pez were not her idea of a delectable dessert

But she also knew that he had thrown himself headfirst into this pregnancy to counter two things: his concern for her and his family's safety from the Centre and Lily's condition. She knew he spent hours a day trying to get her to wake up. Because the longer Lily was unconscious, the more likely it was that she would never awaken. And to Jarod this was unacceptable.

Parker's heart broke every time she went to Lily's room. She would stand at the doorway of Lily's room, just observing how gently and lovingly that Jarod cared for his sister. It reminded her every day of why he was so special and why she had fallen in love with him. But the darkness that had filled her for so long also crept in. Reminding her of what the consequences of defying the Centre were. They had taken her mother and Thomas from her. Kyle and maybe now Lily from Jarod. The price for freedom had been paid with blood. Their loved ones blood.

Parker sighed when she could no longer hear her mother's voice. She laid her hand over her stomach protectively. "You will never be touched by the Centre. I swear to you little one. I will kill anyone who tries." This was Parker's vow for the Universe to hear.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dr. Stedman asked Jarod, Parker, Becky, Margaret, Major Charles, Emily, Ethan and Thomas to meet with her at 4:00 p.m. in the formal dining room. Everyone assembled promptly at four, fearing that there could be news that the Centre had located them. Parker and Jarod took seats right next to Dr. Stedman's seat on the left, Becky to her right, and the remainder scattered amongst the table.

"I'm sorry to bring you here like this, but under the circumstances I thought it better that we were all together in one room." Dr. Stedman looked down at her hands. She was nervously moving her fingers trying to verbalize what she wanted to say.

"Is there a problem with Security?" Parker asked, hoping that the Centre had not found their location.

"No. The operative at the Centre says that they have not gotten any closer to discovering our location. They did give me some disturbing news about Lyle though."

Parker leaned farther into the table. "What is Lyle up to Joan?"

Stedman shook her head. "He hasn't done anything Melissa. It seems that he has had some sort of breakdown. They are having problems controlling him."

Parker leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest. "Lyle doesn't have breakdowns. He causes them."

Jarod added. "It doesn't seem likely that Lyle would have any form of breakdown. He studied in the Orient. He has been subjected to and learned about various forms of torture. I would doubt that just his confinement would force him to go over the deep end."

Becky was slumped into her chair. She had been very withdrawn from the group for several weeks now, so when she spoke the others were startled. "What if losing Lily pushed him over the edge? Or not being able to rescue Debbie Broots. He has one of those lovely chips in him as well. Could be the damn thing is malfunctioning."

Jarod turned and looked at Dr. Stedman. "Could his chip have overloaded trying to get to Debbie?"

Joan shook her head. "I'm not sure Jarod. I would have to examine him. Sydney is taking care of him."

Parker smiled like the Cheshire cat. "If Sydney is working with him, it's a ploy. Sydney would never readily volunteer to help Lyle, unless he knew that it served a better purpose."

Jarod realized what Parker was saying. "Lyle is giving them someone to focus on, instead of Debbie. Keeping their hands full so that they can't do anything to her."

Stedman nodded her head in agreement. "That does sound logical Jarod. Especially since we know that he handed over Lily so he could go back into the Centre to rescue Debbie." Stedman's face showed stress once more.

Jarod picked up on Stedman's change in expression. "But Lyle isn't the reason you brought us here, is it? Nor is it that the Centre threat has increased. So what is the matter Dr. Stedman?"

Joan laid her palms flat on the table. "I met with Lily's doctors today. They did a thorough examination." She paused trying to compose herself. Everyone could see that her eyes were starting to tear.

Margaret leaned against Charles for support. Jarod grabbed for Parker's hand under the table and held it tight.

"It is their opinion that at this time there is little hope that Lily will ever regain consciousness. That eventually her systems will begin to fail and ..." Stedman could not finish her sentence as she choked back tears.

Becky jumped to her feet. "No!" She screamed as she pushed the chair backwards; sending it flying onto the floor. "She's not dying!" Becky refused to accept what she had been feeling for weeks – that Lily was pulling away from them. From her.

Jarod rose and rounded the table behind Dr. Stedman, who had also stood. "Becky, the doctors have done all they can do. We have to face the reality..." Tears started to form in the corners of Jarod's eyes.

Parker could see that Jarod was trying to comfort Becky even though his heart was breaking. Jarod's most endearing trait – he always thought of others before himself. But Parker had seen that face before – when Kyle had died in his arms.

"She is not gone. She's just lost and I'm going to find her." Becky sidestepped Jarod and headed for the door.

"Becky!" Dr. Stedman called after the distraught woman. "Where are you going?"

Becky flung the door open and turned to glare at Stedman. "To find Lily."

Everyone in the room looked at each other, confused by Becky's statement. Major Charles looked over toward the group at the end of the table. "What does she mean she's going to find Lily? Has she been removed from her room?"

"I think she means in the metaphysical sense Dad." Jarod started to explain. "Becky has certain gifts."

Margaret looked towards Parker. "Like Catherine's inner sense."

"Not quite like that Margaret. Becky has a stronger telepathic gift. She can see things, people, places, if she concentrates hard enough. She's empathic, like Timmy." Stedman added.

Margaret shook her head. "I remember that poor boy. Catherine would tell me the horrible stories about that little guy. Raines tortured him. But I still don't understand what she thinks she can do for Lily."

Jarod had already headed for the door, with Parker right behind him. "Let me go talk to her. Maybe I can help ease her pain." Jarod opened the door and stopped. Without turning, he spoke. "Maybe she can contact Lily. It may be our only chance." With that said, he continued through the door subconsciously grabbing Parker's hand. He needed to feel her touch right now.

Charles shook his head in frustration. "This is crazy. When will our lives ever go back to being normal?" Charles realized that he had verbalized what he was feeling, not really meaning to say the words out loud. He saw the stares of the two women. "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated and tired and..."

Margaret reached over and placed her finger over his lips. "We understand. I'm feeling the same way. And I'm sure Dr. Stedman is feeling horrible. She did raise Lily." Margaret looked over to Joan who lowered her head. "For which I am eternally grateful." Margaret smiled.

Joan lifted her head, trying to fight back the tears she felt forming in her eyes. "Thank you. I'm not sure I could be as understanding considering the circumstances."

Margaret wiped the tears in her own eyes. "I'm just glad she was in your hands instead of Dr. Raines. And I know we will get through this. We are strong and I will not let the Centre win. Together, we will win!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lily stood next to her body. "There's been so much pain Catherine." Lily said starkly. "Everyone is so hurt."

"Aftermath of destruction is always difficult. When loved ones are hurt, the pain runs deep. It can hit someone at their core." Catherine replied in a comforting voice.

"I've hurt my family by just existing." Lily's voice held a sad tone.

"Family is about love and bonds. Can anything be that wrong that love could not overcome it?" Catherine smiled sweetly at Lily.

Lily's face was filled with pain. "Some things love cannot change. I have blood on my hands Catherine that I can't remove. I'm a Frankenstein monster. One that Dr. Raines created. Love can't over come that."

"Forgiveness is always a good start. Good always outweighs evil." Catherine knew they were at a critical moment.

Lily looked away from Catherine. "I use to think so..." But the truth was she no longer believed that. Raines had spent years wrecking havoc and there were so many good people who had fallen by his hand. Including Catherine. Without turning back, Lily stated frankly. "I don't want to go on."

Catherine's face became somber. "This is what you truly want? There is no going back once your final journey is completed."

Slowly the room faded into a black void. The hospital room was slipping away. "Why can't I see anything Catherine?"

"Because you have made your decision." Suddenly a brightly-lit tunnel formed behind Catherine. "Kyle is waiting for you. Everyone will welcome you with open arms."

"I'm afraid Catherine." Lily looked at the tunnel with apprehension.

"Take my hand." Catherine offered her open palm to Lily. "I'm here to help you with your transition."

Lily took Catherine's hand and they both headed for the light.

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Becky slammed the door open to Lily's room. She immediately went to the far side of Lily's bed and crouched looking for what she had placed there earlier in the day.

A few minutes later Jarod came barreling into the room, sure that Becky had come there. Parker entered seconds later. "I would have sworn she would come here."

Parker, trying to catch her breath, leaned against Jarod for a moment. She took a deep breath. "Maybe she went to her room first."

Jarod, seeing that he had forced Parker to run triple time to keep up with him, grabbed her tenderly under the arms. "Are you all right? Do you need me to get Dr. Stedman or Dr. Berez?" Jarod's eyes frantically looked over every inch of Parker.

"I'm fine Jarod, stop worrying." Parker started rolling her eyes.

"Sure she's fine." A voice came from behind them. Becky had retrieved what she had been looking for. "She's pregnant, not a porcelain doll." Becky pulled up onto the nightstand next to Lily a small boom box.

Jarod turned to face Becky while retaining a hold of Parker. "Do you know how high the percentages of miscarriages are in the first trimester of pregnancy?" Jarod whipped back.

"Do you know how many women go crazy during the first trimester from over zealous partners?" Becky gave Jarod a mock grin and Parker a wink. "Parker's fine Jarod. She has the finest staff in the country taking care of her. Now if you don't mind, I have things to do." Becky waved at Jarod to exit the room.

Anger peeked in Jarod's eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. What do you think you are doing Becky?" Jarod came to stand opposite Becky on Lily's right side of the bed.

Becky popped a CD into the player. "I'm going to find Lily and bring her back." Becky was pushing the buttons she needed to put the piece of equipment on.

Jarod shook his head. "How? By playing her a lullaby?"

Becky looked up at Jarod with fire in her eyes. Her face flushed with anger. "She is the only sister I have ever known, the only family I have ever had. I am thrilled that I have found Angelo, but Lily has been a part of my whole existence. I won't lose her to heaven or hell!"

Jarod had never seen Becky this upset. "Becky, the doctors have done all they can do. What can you do?"

Becky's eyes bored into Jarod's. "I can fight for her." She was trying to beat back tears now. "I can feel it Jarod. Here pulling away. But somehow I know it's not the physical injuries that are killing her. It's herself. She's always been a fighter and I won't let her give up!" She was taking in deep breaths trying to calm herself.

Jarod was about to counter, when Parker touched his arm. "What harm would it be to let her try Jarod?"

Jarod turned to look at Parker. He knew she felt his pain. He knew she felt her own pain for losing yet another person to the Centre. He turned back to Becky. "What are you going to do?"

Becky felt around her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She laid it across Lily's stomach so Jarod could read it. "I'm going to use her own words against her." Becky gently laid her one hand on Lily's arm. She outstretched the other to Jarod.

"It's not logical that you will be able to..." He started trying to understand the concept that Becky was presenting.

Becky's face frowned. "Then if you're not going to help me, then stay out of my way." She hit the play button on the player. Becky closed her eyes and concentrated on the faint impression she felt from her sister. Music started streaming through the boom box. Becky started to sing with the music.

_There's a ship out on the ocean  
At the mercy of the sea  
It's been tossed about lost and broken  
Wandering aimlessly  
And God, somehow you know that ship is you.  
_

Bobby, at the Centre, jumped to attention as he heard the words to the song that Lily had sung to him to pull him back from going over the edge to being Lyle. This time it wasn't Lily's voice though, it was that woman Becky's. Then he felt it. Lily was slipping away. He had to stop her, he couldn't lose her. He started to say the words he was hearing in his mind.

_  
Because there's a lighthouse in the harbor  
Shining faithfully  
Pouring it's light out across the water  
For your sinking soul to see  
That someone out here still believes in thee  
_

Becky felt the influx of power. Somehow Bobby was helping her. Using his inner sense to aid her. She wondered if he realized how gifted he really was.

_  
On a prayer, in a song  
You hear my voice and it keeps you hanging on  
Raining down, against the wind  
I'm reaching out until we reach the circle's end  
When you come back to me again_

Lily felt a tug and stopped. She let go of Catherine's hand. The faint sound of music reached her. She started walking back toward the origin of the music. Catherine smiled.

At Angel's Hope, Becky looked up at Jarod. She extended her hand that wasn't touching Lily to him again.

_There's a moment we all come to  
In our own time and our own space  
Where all that we've done we can undo  
If our heart's in the right place  
_

Jarod listened to the words. Had Lily and Becky known the truth. That it would take all of them to stop the Centre. To lose Lily would be putting a kink in the armor that they had formed. Her strength, dedication, and knowledge were needed. Would they really ever be able to undo what the Centre had done with their simulations. He knew that it was a wound he had difficulty healing. Even after all these years. With resolve, he placed his hand in Becky's and then placed the other on Lily's shoulder.

Lily found herself back in her medical room. Becky, Jarod, and Parker were there. She listened to the words. She had used them to hold onto Bobby, now Becky was trying to reach her. "Very smart." She thought as she looked at the woman whom she considered her sister.

Lyle sat in his cell listening to the words. Could it really be true? Was Lily right? Could they change what they had been and done. He had been ruthless – in his business practices and his personal life. He had murdered without second thought. He had fathered a child to strengthen his stronghold on the Centre. And had given him freely to them. That may have been his deadliest sin. But Lily believed they could become what they had been. Recapture the good. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the image of her face.

_  
On a prayer, in a song  
You hear my voice and it keeps you hanging on  
Raining down, against the wind  
I'm reaching out until we reach the circle's end  
When you come back to me again_

_Again and again I see _

_Our yesterdays in front of me  
Unfolding like a mystery  
We're changing all that is and used to be  
_

"Lily." Lyle whispered as he felt her presence around him. Lily knelt next to him on the floor. He looked beaten and worn. She had felt his pull also. She knew he was grappling with whether he could make a difference in his life. Whether they could have a life together? Could the monsters be caged for all eternity?

Becky could feel Lily's presence, knew she had heard her plea. She meant the words she was singing. She couldn't bear to face what they had been, what they had done without her. She concentrated harder so that Lily could feel her resolve.

Parker felt the presence of her Mother and then knew that Lily was there also. She came and stood behind Jarod and placed her hands on Jarod's shoulders. Hoping to add her strength to the others.

The door opened further into Lily's room as Dr. Stedman, Margaret, Charles, Ethan, Emily, and Thomas filed into the room. All of them, bewildered and confusion, at what they were witnessing.

_On a prayer, in a song  
You hear my voice and it keeps you hanging on  
Raining down, against the wind  
I'm reaching out until we reach the circle's end  
When you come back to me again_

The Sweepers came bustling into Bobby's room. Lily knelt next to him and kissed his cheek. He raised his fingers to capture the spot where he had actually felt her lips brush against his cheek. Lily looked behind her and then was gone. Bobby allowed the Sweepers to grab him and drag him to his feet. He smiled as he said the final words.

_When you come back to me again_

The words floated out of everyone's mouths as a talisman. Hoping that Lily would grab onto the thread that had been woven between them.

Charles was the first of the joining group to speak. "What do the three of you think you are doing? The doctor's orders were to keep her atmosphere calm and soothing. Not have a group sing-a-long. Do you have any idea what damage you could be doing, she's in a very fragile state, she could di..." Charles couldn't bring himself to say it. Margaret came and put her arms around Charles.

Becky took a long look at Lily. "Come on. Come on." Becky shook Lily's shoulders. "I know you're in there. Open your eyes dammit."

Jarod ran around the bed and grabbed Becky. "Stop. This isn't going to help. Becky," Jarod took a deep breath, "it's over. We tried and we failed. There's nothing more we can do." He gently removed Becky's hands from Lily knowing that the woman was close to breaking down. "You did your best." He pulled her into his chest and she collapsed into his arms.

"I was so sure..." she sobbed, "sure I could find her. Bring her back to us. I don't want to go on without her."

Jarod grabbed her under her arms. "No. Don't say that." Jarod tried to use a soothing voice, but his voice cracked with emotion. "We need you. Parker and I, everyone at Angel's Hope. We have to stick together to get through this."

Dr. Stedman came up next to Jarod and grabbed Becky under one arm. "Let's get her to the Infirmary." Everyone turned to leave the room, when Lily's heart monitor flat lined.

"No." Jarod whispered closing his eyes. Becky sank lower to the floor, her sobs becoming greater. Jarod and Dr. Stedman pulled her up.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Lily. Shock hit them all.

Sitting up with the heart monitor cords in her hand, sat Lily. "You people are making enough noise to wake the dead."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Inner sense warns us of the dangers around us.

It also connects the energies between life and death.

The Players are traveling back and forth through both.

To win the ultimate contest.

_Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of "The Pretender" creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. I also lay no claim to the beautiful song by Garth Brooks. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor "The Pretender" series and to entertain its fans. _


	80. Inner turmoil

Inner sense warns us of the dangers around us.

It also connects the energies between life and death.

The Players are traveling back and forth through both.

To win the ultimate contest.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dr. Stedman came up next to Jarod and grabbed Becky under one arm. "Let's get her to the Infirmary." Everyone turned to leave the room, when Lily's heart monitor flat lined.

"No." Jarod whispered closing his eyes. Becky sank lower to the floor, her sobs becoming greater. Jarod and Dr. Stedman pulled her up.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Lily. Shock hit them all.

Sitting up with the heart monitor cords in her hand, sat Lily. "You people are making enough noise to wake the dead."

"Lily!" Becky screamed as she broke from Jarod and Joan and ran to her friend, throwing her arms around her.

"Easy girl. You might break something that's not already broken." Lily tried to give Becky a smile, but she found that besides her body even her cheeks hurt.

"Lily, you took a thousand years off my life." Jarod said as he came around the other side and gave his sister a kiss. He took the leads out of her hand and started placing them back on her body. Lily allowed him to settle her back on the pillows. "You know these things are on for a reason.

Seconds later the medical staff came running in with a crash cart. Dr. Stedman put her hands up. "Everything is all right. Lily pulled the leads off. Can you please inform Dr. Berez and Fischer that Lily is awake?"

"Yes. Ma'am." The nurse responded. She poked her head around the doctor. "Nice to see you awake Lily." The young woman smiled.

"Thank you Abbey. Better get moving or Joan may have a conniption." Lily gave the woman a wink.

Joan turned to look at Lily. "A conniption? You scared me half to death. How many times have I told you not to take off the leads?" She came up next to Lily and picked up Lily's wrist. Her hand shook as she tried taking Lily's pulse.

Lily brought her other hand over Joan's. "It's OK now." Lily could see that Joan was close to tears. "I'm going to be fine. Takes more than Raines to bring me down." She tried to give a halfhearted smile.

Joan smiled back. "I keep telling you that you're not Super Woman."

Jarod patted her hand and caught her attention. "I think there are some people who have been waiting to meet you." Jarod motioned to his family to come forward. Margaret and Charles approached first, followed by Ethan, Emily, and Thomas who rounded the end of Lily's bed. "Ethan found them Lily. Found our family."

She looked over at the couple standing anxiously at the end of her bed. Ethan she recognized from before she left, as well as Emily from Jarod's picture. The young man must be Thomas and the couple at the end of her bed was her biological parents. She realized the injured red haired woman was really her mother. Lily's eyes should have shown joy, but instead fear crept in.

"Hello Lily. I'm Margaret and this is Charles." Charles placed his arm around Margaret's back. "And this is Ethan, Thomas, and your sister Emily."

Stedman noticed that Lily's heart rate was increasing.

Lily looked at everyone around her bed and started to have difficulty breathing. "Hello." Is all she managed to get out.

Dr. Stedman pushed the nurse's button. "I want Dr. Fischer in here right now!" She turned to everyone in the room. "I think it would be best if everyone waited outside."

Margaret's eyes widened in fear. "What's wrong?"

Lily was holding the sheets as she gasped for breath. Jarod tilted her head back to see if there was an airway obstruction. The medical team ran into the room, scattering the group that had been beside the bed. The team swarmed around Lily, Dr. Fischer pushing Jarod out of the way.

"I can help." Jarod insisted as he tried to regain his position next to his sister.

Parker grabbed him, pulling him away from the bed. "Jarod, let them do their job. They need to evaluate her.

"We may have a seizure here." The doctor yelled to the medical staff as he rambled out a list of medications he wanted put into Lily's IV. "I need everyone cleared from this room!" The doctor yelled as he started to listen to Lily's lung sounds.

Dr. Stedman started herding everyone from the room. "Let's go wait in the hall." She said as she hustled everyone through the doorway. Finally pushing Jarod out last.

Jarod fisted his hand and hit the wall. "I should be in there." Parker was trying her best to console him.

Stedman turned and looked at Jarod. "Let the doctor's do what they need to do. Dr. Fischer is the best neurosurgeon in this part of the country Jarod."  
  
"I know more than most doctors. Let me help in there." Jarod tried to push the door open.

This time Major Charles blocked the door. "Jarod, I know that you are very knowledgeable and care for your sister greatly, but you have to let them do their jobs. It's a miracle that they have gotten her this far and that she woke up. Let them continue what they were doing."

Jarod felt so helpless and out of control. "All right Dad. I'll give them their time. But if anything goes wrong, I'm going in there."

Parker pulled him back. "Come on Jarod, sit over here with me. I'm feeling a little tired." She gave Major Charles a wink as she pulled Jarod back to a row of chairs.

"Oh no in all this, I forgot about you. Are you all right? Have you eaten today? Do I need to get Dr. Berez?" Jarod looked over every inch of Parker.

"Calm down Wonder Boy. I'm fine. I would just like to sit a little and you need to calm down." Parker leaned her head against Jarod's shoulder, feeling the warmth of his body next to hers. "She'll be fine."

Suddenly the door opened and Dr. Fischer appeared. He whispered into Dr. Stedman's ear for a few minutes and then went back into the room. All eyes were on the now very self-conscious woman.

"Well?" Jarod asked impatiently.

Joan thought for a moment before she spoke. "Dr. Fischer said that they would have to run more tests. Whatever happened has subsided and Lily is resting comfortably."

"I want to go in there and see her." Jarod stated as he tried to pass Stedman at the door.

Joan put her hand up on Jarod's chest to stop him. "You can't Jarod. Dr. Fischer has asked that all visitors be kept out until they can figure out what has happened. As soon as he gives the all clear, you'll be the first one I call. He doesn't want her over taxed."

Margaret came up next to Jarod, followed by Charles. "Not even a few minutes Joan? I just got to see her. I didn't even have a chance to hug her." Tears filled the corners of Margaret's eyes.

Joan took Margaret's hand. "I wish I could Margaret, but I have to do what is in the best interest of Lily. I'll go now and speak with Dr. Fischer and see if there is anyway that maybe one or two of you could see her later on." Margaret nodded and Stedman pushed the door open to Lily's room to step in.

Once in, she looked over at the bed to see the nurses fussing around Lily and Dr. Fischer writing something on Lily's chart. She crossed her arms over her chest as she approached the bed. Lily looked up at her with huge chestnut brown puppy eyes. "Don't give me those eyes. Would you like to tell me exactly what the hell is going on?"

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Raines came stalking into the bare room they had dragged Lyle to. The overhead light created dark shadows in the gray walled room. Raines could barely make out Lyle's form, the only thing visible being his feet. "What did he do now?" Raines growled.

Willie stepped forward. "He was sort of singing."

Raines stood there. "You brought me down here because he was singing?"

Willie straightened himself a bit. "Not just singing Sir. When he was done, he charged us. Said that _she_ was going to take care of all of us. Knocked half my men over. He nearly escaped out of his room."

Raines stepped to the edge of the shadow. "What are you up to Lyle?" He could see that Lyle looked tousled; his hair messed and his clothes wrinkled and torn.

Bobby didn't move a muscle. "My name is Bobby. Robert if you prefer to be proper."

"Ahhh" Raines nodded, "at least we are acknowledging who we are now."

"I accomplished what I set out to do." Bobby stayed still. Watching Raines intently.

"And what was that _Lyle_?" Raines punctuated the name; he was getting tired of games.

"She's awake now. There will be no stopping her and Parker." Bobby's eyes flamed with the anger and passion that filled him. He knew she was alive. Had felt the moment she regained consciousness. His mother's gift to him. The knowledge that she was all right...and would come back to him. He had asked in the song, she had replied. And if he knew Lily like he thought he did – she would be furious. Angered enough to tear the Centre down. Both her and Parker. No one messed with Debbie Broots. Even he knew that all during their sibling rivalry.

Raines sneered. "And by _her_, I would assume you mean Lily. She left here half-dead Lyle. I'm sure the trip finished her off." Underneath his cool exterior something inside started to panic.

Bobby grinned. "You don't know her very well. She has a soul like an angel and the spirit to fly. You couldn't touch her if you tried. Lily's alive old man, I know it. Just like my Mother knew things. And she is going to tear you apart when she gets back here."

Raines thought about Catherine for a moment. And the gift she had passed down to Ethan. Lyle had never exhibited any of Catherine's gifts before. Had Lily awakened something in him that had lain dormant all these years? "Lily didn't succeed the first time Lyle. What makes you think she will succeed this time?" Raines wasn't about to concede anything to Lyle.

Bobby looked coolly at Raines. "Because you pissed her off..._Dad_."

Raines motioned for Willie and Sam to grab Lyle. They dragged him to his feet, Bobby fighting them by allowing his body to be limp and cumbersome to carry. "Give it up Lyle. I think you need a little motivation." Raines looked at Willie. "Take him to the Medical wing. They're waiting for him." Raines looked down at Lyle. "We're going to try some chemical enhancements to your chip. May work....."Raines' face turned to a scowl. "May leave you like Angelo. We'll see." With a flick of his head, Lyle was dragged kicking and thrashing from the room. "We'll see." Is all he muttered as he left the room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What is taking so long?" Jarod said as he paced back and forth in front of Lily's room.

Parker came up behind him and put her arms around him. "Stedman said she would tell you when you could see her. Pacing around like a caged leopard is going to get you nowhere. Your family has already gone to your Mom's room. Why don't you go join them? Relax a little, eat a Pez." Parker flashed a smile at Jarod.

Jarod stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to give her a tirade, but looked into her eyes. She had that sparkle that she always got when she was being mischievous. "Funny Parker. Aren't you the least bit concerned?"

"Aren't you being a bit over protective? Becky's right – we're not china dolls Jarod. Sure – Lily's been through hell, but she's a fighter. If I didn't already know she was your sister, I would have thought she was a Parker. And for your information, I am very concerned. I just can't let it get to me. Someone told me once you have to have faith. While we're waiting, we could go get some ice cream." Parker knew it was one of Jarod's weaknesses.

Jarod looked at the door to Lily's room. "I guess."

Parker gently took his hand and led him away from the door down the hallway. She was trying to desperately think of something to distract him with. Then an idea came to her. "Have you thought about any names for the baby?"

They were just about ready to make a turn in the hall when Jarod stopped short. "You've been thinking about baby names?"

Parker smiled at him. "Well in between the martial arts training and the offensive strategies, I may have had some names in mind." Parker continued walking, taking long strides so that Jarod had to catch up.

"Wait up." He said as he grabbed her arm to stop her. "What names did you have in mind?" He pulled her into an embrace.

Parker bit her lower lip. "Well, if it sounded good to you, I thought maybe if it was a girl we could name her Catherine." She wasn't sure how he would respond to her request.

"Catherine O'Connor. Sounds like a good strong name. And if it was a boy?" Jarod had gotten that excited look in his eyes.

Parker thought for a moment. "I hadn't thought about a boy's name too much. I was already buying online black leather mini skirts." She snickered as she spotter Jarod's face in response.

Shaking his head furiously. "My little girl is not going to be wearing black leather mini skirts. I would have to kill any little boy who came near her."

Parker threw back her head and laughed out loud. "So it's only OK for her mother to wear them." She wanted to see his reaction.

"That's different. You're a grown woman....can handle yourself...." Jarod was flabbergasted.

"And not your little girl. You don't want boys to look at her legs like you look at mine?" Parker snickered as she looked forward.

"I am not a chauvinist if that's what you are implying. I just want her to wear beautiful dresses and bows in her hair...wait a minute. No one said that this baby was a girl. It could be a strapping boy." Jarod gave Parker a big smile.

"Like his Daddy? He could be a ballet dancer." Parker tried to hide her snicker again.

Jarod thought for a moment. "If he wanted to pursue the art of dance, that would be fine. But I think it will be pretty hard to hide the 9-mm in his tights. And he'll be carrying one if he's anything like his mother." Now it was Jarod's turn to laugh as he thought about what he had said.

"Funny Pez boy. More likely he'll be like his father and have every kind of Pez dispenser on the market." Parker could tell that Jarod's mood had lifted a little. She was about to push the door open to the kitchen, when Jarod stopped her.

"How about Kyle?" Jarod looked into Parker's eyes to see her response.

She turned to look at him. "Would that hurt your parents? How about Jacob Kyle? It would be honoring the man who saved Lily's life and your brother."

Jarod smiled. "We have a lot of time still to decide. I'll ask Mom and Dad how they feel about it." Parker and Jarod entered the kitchen. As they were heading for the refrigerator, Jarod pulled Parker around and kissed her. As he pulled his lips from hers, he whispered, "Thank you."

Parker looked up into his beautiful chestnut eyes. "You're welcome." Parker knew he appreciated the distraction from Lily's condition. "How about vanilla? I definitely think the baby wants vanilla." Parker smiled.

Jarod grinned also. "Chip off the ole block." He pulled the container out, got two bowls and spoons, and dished out two very large proportions. Both sat in silence eating their ice cream and thinking about what was happening.

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Joan looked over at Dr. Fischer. "The bottom line is she had an attack?"

Dr. Fischer looked up from his paperwork. "A panic attack I would presume. There are no signs of cranial pressure or pupil dilation. Her heartbeat is strong, pulse steady. I'm going to have some tests run to rule out any other possibilities. Other than that she'll just need time to heal."

"Thank you Dr. Fischer. Will she be able to have visitors?" Joan started the question, but was cut off by Lily.

"No!" Lily yelled. "No visitors."

Joan looked at Lily with shock. "Dr. Fischer, can you please leave us alone."

"Certainly." The doctor replied as he and the nurse left the room.

"All right Lily. I'm asking again. What is going on?" Joan crossed her arms across her chest.

Lily closed her eyes. She took in a deep breath. "I can't do it. Can't face them."

Understanding flooded Stedman. "This happened when Jarod brought your parents over. It's upsetting to you to meet your natural parents? I thought you would be thrilled." Joan tried to keep the hurt tone out of her voice. She had secretly been dreading Lily meeting her biological mother; the one person who could take Lily away from her.

Lily opened her eyes. "How thrilled can they be that their daughter, who they never even knew existed, is a murderer? Has the blood of thousands on her hands. Not to mention that if Bobby hadn't stopped him, I would have been working hand in hand to destroy all of you with Raines. They're better off with Jarod. They love him...been looking for him for years...." Lily looked away from Joan. "Jarod found his family. Put them somewhere Joan where they will be safe till this is all over."

Joan could feel Lily's pain. The pain she had tried to keep her secluded from all these years. "I don't think they look at it in that light Lily. You were just a child then. You didn't know what you were doing or what Raines was doing with your simulations. And regardless of what happened at the Centre, something inside of you fought Raines and won. I don't see a diabolical killer in front of me, just a woman who blames herself unnecessarily."

Lily looked up at Joan. "How can they look at me without feeling pain? A constant reminder of what they have gone through. They need a place where they can all heal. And Raines out of their lives." Lily grabbed Joan's arm. "You could do that Joan. You could hide them somewhere far away from Raines where he would never find them. Please do this one thing for me." Tears welled in Lily's eyes as they pleaded her case.

Joan shook her head. "Lily - even if I could relocate them and keep them safe, who says that they would go. I know Jarod will not willingly leave here without you. He wants to protect his family _and _that includes you. There are things that have happened that you don't even know about Honey." Joan stopped herself, not sure how to tell her.

Lily looked at Joan suspiciously. "You don't call me Honey unless something is wrong. What is happening that would make Jarod crazier than he already is?"

Joan pulled free of Lily and pulled up a chair. "There are two things that have changed the playing field per say. One is that you are going to be an aunt."

Lily's eyes grew big and a smile came across her face. "Parker's pregnant?" She covered her mouth in shock. She looked over at Joan. "The night in the arboretum. That little devil. I had hoped they would get together, but this is beyond my wildest dreams. He must be on cloud nine." It was then that Lily saw Joan's stoic face. "Something's wrong. Something with the baby?"

Joan shook her head negatively. "No, Parker and the baby are fine. She just has to watch as she's training the teams. She's been over doing it. Jarod has been very on edge since everything started with the Centre."

Lily's smile faded. "Again, it comes back to me. I should have been here to train the teams, not leaving everything in Parker's lap. I opened us up to the Centre with my arrogance." Lily hit the bed in anger, once again blaming herself for the circumstances that had arisen.

"Lily," Joan started, "Parker's pregnancy isn't the only thing that has set things off kilter. Has Jarod concerned. He's concerned about you." Joan tried to keep her voice monotone, so to keep Lily calm.

"Well you can just tell him I'm tired and the doctor thinks I need rest. Total rest, no visitors. He saw me awake. The chip is no longer malfunctioning..."

"The chip is gone Lily." Joan added.

Lily tried to read Joan's face. "Gone. That's even better. Less for Jarod to worry about. We'll just tell him I need rest and the doctor thinks..." Her mind was running a million simulations when Joan cut her off.

"Lily!" Joan said, startling Lily. "The chip and the coma aren't the only medical condition we are concerned about."

Confusion crossed Lily's face. "What other medical condition is there Joan?" Lily saw it in Joan's eyes – fear. "What did Raines do?"

Joan in haled deeply and let the breath out slowly. "Lily. You're four weeks pregnant." Joan watched Lily's face turn to terror.

"No." Lily whispered, turning on her side and bringing her knees up in the fetal position. "God, no."

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Revelations can astound us.

Or bring us to our knees.

The Players are have been dealt a strong hand.

Will they be able to live with it.


	81. I Heard Someone Crying

Revelations can astound us.

Or bring us to our knees.

The Players are have been dealt a strong hand.

Will they be able to live with it.

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"Lily!" Joan said, startling Lily. "The chip and the coma aren't the only medical condition we are concerned about."

Confusion crossed Lily's face. "What other medical condition is there Joan?" Lily saw it in Joan's eyes – fear. "What did Raines do?"

Joan inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. "Lily. You're four weeks pregnant." Joan watched Lily's face turn to terror.

"No." Lily whispered, turning on her side and bringing her knees up in the fetal position. "God, no."

Joan immediately rose and put her arms around the shaking woman. "It's all right Lily. We'll get through this."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Lily clutched her stomach.

Gently, Joan stroked Lily's hair. "Breathe Lily. Breathe."

The tears flowed down Lily's face. "Who's…" Lily couldn't bring herself to say it. "Who's the father? Please tell me Raines didn't…couldn't… I'm definitely going to be sick."

Joan continued to try and soothe Lily. "We haven't been able to run any tests yet, it's too early. But from what Jarod said was written on your chart, Mr. Lyle is the father."

Lily turned, the tears streaked down her face. "Bobby?" Lily wiped the tears from her eyes, because the seedlings of rage were beginning to overcome the grief. "Bobby wouldn't do that. Wouldn't allow…" Lily was trying to process what could have happened.

Joan moved a strand of hair that was stuck to from Lily's face from her tears. "If it helps any, Jarod said that it didn't seem that Lyle knew that the procedure had been done. It was strictly Raines' doing."

Lily looked up at Joan. "Please call him Bobby. He isn't Lyle any more. He saved my life. I don't know how I know that, but I know it." Lily thought for a moment. "Where is Bobby? I didn't see him with the others. Is he waiting to see me alone because Margaret and Charles are here?"

Joan once again got that stoic look on her face. "Lyle…I mean Bobby didn't make it out Lily. He's still at the Centre. Jarod said he went back in to get Debbie Broots and my sources say that he was recaptured. I'm sorry Lily."

Lily bolted up in the bed, sending a wave of dizziness and nausea through her. The heart monitor leads pulled off and flung in every different direction. She tried pushing her way past Joan. "I have to get back there. Where are my clothes?"

Joan tried her best to hold Lily down. "You aren't going anywhere young lady. Look at you – you're in no condition to be leaving this room, let alone go back to the Centre. Raines' people would snatch you up faster than lightening." The nurses came running into the room. Stedman signaled that it was all right. One of the nursing staff turned off the blaring signal. Joan turned her attention back to Lily. She pushed Lily back down onto the bed seeing the anger in Lily's eyes. "I mean it. Not a foot out of this room unless the doctor sends you for tests."

Lily crossed her arms across her chest. "Fine." She snipped out. "I want to be alone."

Narrowing her eyes at Lily, Joan put up a scolding finger. "I mean it Lily. You try to leave and there will be orders to restrain you. I will not allow you to leave this facility again without my authorization. I am still, utmost, the Director of this facility and I will not have you jeopardizing everyone on a foolish escapade. Don't make me have to sedate you."

With a storm of anger raging inside her, Lily just sat there without saying a word.

"Good." Joan stated. "Maybe you're finally coming to your senses. I'm going to go now and let you rest. Please think about seeing your parents. They really are anxious to see you, not to mention Jarod. We'll talk later." Joan went to the door and exited with the nurses in tow, all the while Lily's eyes bore into the back of them.

Once Joan was out of the room, Lily pushed herself out of bed. Teetering on her feet, dragging the IV pole with her, she slowly walked into the bathroom. When her eyes came level with the mirror, she gasped. Her face had the remnants of blue bruising. She examined the bandage and peeked underneath. Lily winced. "Did they have to cut my hair?"

It was a vain thing to think, but everything else was overwhelming and she didn't want to think about it. But something drove her to look down. She pulled up the gown and ran a hand over her flat stomach. "If it's the last thing I do Dr. Raines, I'm going to kill you." Lily brought her arm up and pulled out the IV catheter.

Lily turned and left the bathroom. She knew Joan wouldn't have any clothes in the room. She would have expected Lily to go from the infirmary ward to her own room. Plus Joan knew Lily, knew if Lily woke up she would try to leave. Would think Lily could never leave butt naked. Lily smiled. She wouldn't be butt naked - for long.

After a few deep breaths to steady herself, Lily made her way to the door. Opening it cautiously, Lily peeked out into the hallway. She looked up and down the passageway before proceeding out, trying to keep her hospital gown closed in the back. A few steps into her trip, a voice bellowed behind her.

"Where do you think you are going?"

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Lyle lay on the table, drugged and dazed. The world was swirling around him as he fought to stay conscious. Raines and Cox had been in the room at one point. He could hear their taunts, their promises of power if he succumbed to the programming. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he fought the incessant chanting that was surrounding him. He knew how Lily felt now – when the music and subliminal messaging were constantly bombarding her. At least he wasn't in that horrid chair. Raines had been forced to regress to one of his previous methods of mind control.

He tried concentrating on something other than the words being broadcasted. He wanted to hang onto the person he wanted to be. The person Lily could love and spend her life with. She understood his dark side, didn't hold it against him. She just accepted that it had been a part of his life. A part he could now let go of because there was truth and light waiting for him. Would she be waiting? His fears crowded in on him. He wasn't sure if it was the drugs or his own insecurities.

The child – their child. He had read the medical log. Knew what Raines had done. Bobby had thought that Raines would use his genetics for one of his freaky experiments, not against Lily. Could she forgive him for supplying the instrument for which Raines performed his egotistical attack? Lily hadn't consented to bear his child, Raines had forced it upon her body. A vessel for a Parker child, just like his mother had been. Bottom line – Raines wanted heirs. Heirs he could control.

"It will be all right Daddy." Bobby heard off to his right. Bobby slowly turned his head and saw his son standing next to him.

"You have to get away from here." Bobby slurred out the words. "Run. Don't get caught."

The boy just stared straight ahead. "Grandma says I can't leave you. They're hurting you and I have to help to keep you with us. They can't hurt me. _He_ won't hurt me, he needs me."

Bobby knew that even at his young age, the boy knew _he_ very well. Bobby had read the reports when no one was looking. Had been checking his progress, justifying to himself that he was only checking on an experiment. But deep where no one but Bobby dwelled, he had been checking on his son.

"Be careful." Bobby whispered. "The walls have eyes and ears."

"Better to see you with." The young boy smiled as he approached Bobby. "I'm not really here. I can travel the camera lines and project to whom I want to. Grandma says I am very special. Angelo says he's fine and that Lily is safe. His sister Becky told him."

"Have they caught Angelo?" The room was spinning, but the little boy's image stayed perfectly still.

"No. Concentrate on me Father. Block out everything else."

Suddenly, it seemed like all the clatter of the music playing around him faded away. Was he drifting more into an unconscious state? When he looked at the boy again, his eyes grew wide. Catherine Parker was standing behind the boy, her hands placed lovingly on his shoulders.

"You have to fight for us Bobby. You have to fight for Lily. She needs you to be strong for her." His mother's image seemed to glow with some kind of heavenly light that encompassed both her and the boy.

"I think Lily is strong enough already. Any more strength and nothing will be left standing in her wake." He shook his head as he chuckled at himself. He wasn't really seeing his mother. It was a combination of drugs and him needing a support system through his torture. Ugh. Now he was sounding like Sydney.

"You and your sister have never excepted your gifts. Melissa has begun to use them. Here and on Carthis. She has accepted the realization of what the Parker legacy really is. Have you?" Catherine spoke in a soft, soothing tone. The sound seemed to calm Bobby's nerves and wrap around his heart.

Tears swelled in Bobby's eyes. No one had ever cared for him before, besides Lily. And they hadn't been together very long. Two children clinging on to each other trying to survive. But he heard the tenderness in his mother's voice. Knew she was reaching for him through what Parker had deemed her Inner Sense. "I am the Parker legacy mother. I have lived my life just as Robert Parker and William Raines wanted me to."

Catherine's face saddened. "But you don't have to stay that way. Lily has already helped you find who you are and your inner sense. What they did to you does not make you who you are. A legacy is what you make it. Lily fights the same demons."

At the mention of her name, Bobby's stomach twisted. "It's like before, when we were children. We're in for the fight for our lives." He whispered feeling the drugs pulling him toward unconsciousness. The last thing he saw was Catherine looking down at him.

"You are my son and nothing will ever change that. Hold on to that my beloved son." Her smile warmed Bobby inside and then he was lost to the wave of drugs taking over his system.

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Parker had never been a sweets eater, but suddenly with the ice cream in front of her she was starving for it. She had even gone so far as to find chocolate syrup, caramel, and sprinkles to put on top. As she was finishing the bowl, she looked up and spotted Jarod smiling at her. "What?" She asked with her mouth full of ice cream.

Jarod's smiled just increased. "I was just thinking that you looked so happy eating the ice cream and that made me think that the baby was probably happy you were eating the ice cream. I'm just reveling in the fact that I'm a father. It still seems strange to say it."

Parker swallowed and then wiped her mouth delicately. "How do you think I feel? I'm not quite the 'motherly' type Jarod. It's so small right now that sometimes I forget that it's even there. Then I'll have a little twitch or a _craving _and then it hits me this little life is growing inside me. Me – the Ice Queen. How am I going to raise a little baby while I'm packing my 9mm.?"

Jarod laughed at the mental image of Parker nine months pregnant and wielding her trusty pistol.

Parker hit him. "Stop laughing at me." She stated as she hit him again.

"I'm not laughing at you." He kissed her on the forehead. "I'm just happy right now. I have my family all together and safe. Lily is awake, even though no one will tell us what just happened." Jarod got up and pulled her into his arms. "And I have you, here, with me. Carrying my child. Admitting you're in love with me and you haven't shot me yet." He pulled her chin up and she accepted his warming kiss. The tender touch of his cool tongue from the ice cream gave her a little jump. As he pulled away he looked into her eyes. "I haven't been this happy in as long as I can remember. I never want it to end."

Parker's face turned melancholy. "I wish I could give you that Jarod. But it's not reality. Reality is that there is a maniac out there looking for all of us and he would give his soul to possess our baby. I can't become complacent and just think everything is just going to go away. We have to keep alert and sharp. We have to…"

Just then Jarod pulled her closer and kissed her ferociously. Parker melted against him, fitting perfectly into the front of him. It always amazed Parker that it felt so safe and warm when she was in Jarod's arms. Felt his soft lips against hers. His tongue teasing hers; sending her into a macramé of sensations.

"Isn't this how we got into this predicament?" Parker needled Jarod playfully.

Jarod purred. "I don't consider it a predicament. I consider it a miracle come true." Jarod took Parker's hand and started leading her out of the kitchen.

"Where are we going?" Parker asked curious as to what Jarod was up to.

He thought for a moment. "What is the line I heard on the television?" He thought for a moment and then smiled a devilish grin. "Your place or mine?"

Parker laughed as she followed Jarod into the hallway. "You do realize that both our rooms have cameras in them. I wasn't aware you were into voyeurism."

"I think we can get Fred to turn off the cameras just this one time." Jarod came to a stop at the elevator and drew Parker to him. "I need you." His eyes conveyed everything. The hope, the love…and the pain and sorrow.

Parker took his chin into her hands. "I need you more." She pulled him into a long, passionate kiss that could have set Angel's Hope on fire. She pulled away slightly. "Let's get to that room."

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The nurse had just finished placing Broots in the chair next to his bed. She was adjusting the tray table as he wiggled into a comfortable spot. "Would you like me to stay here and help you?" The nurse asked as she smiled and placed his napkin on his lap.

"No." Broots answered politely. "I'm moving a little better and I don't want to be a bother." Broots felt uncomfortable with being treated like he was in a five star hotel, but with a bodyguard standing at the door. He imagined it was how Jarod felt. Confined to his room and not allowed to come or go.

The young, perky nurse smiled. "You're not a bother Mr. Broots. If anything, you're the nicest patient I've had. I even snuck you in an extra pudding."

"Thank you Lisa. Pudding is one of my favorites. The texture just rolls on your tongue and if you have tapioca, then that's a whole different texture. The beads just…"

"Is this what grownups call lively conversation?" Thomas asked from the door.

Lisa, shooting straight up from her bent position, straightened Broots' napkin and headed for the door. "If you need anything, just ring the buzzer." With that the woman swiftly left the room.

Thomas laughed. "Did I interrupt something?"

Broots' face turned a deep crimson. "What could be going on…nothing was going on…I mean I'm in a hospital gown. No wait, that's not what I meant to say…..Ugh." Broots threw his good arm up in the air.

"Don't get your…gown…up in a wad. I was just joking with you." The young man pulled up a chair and plopped himself down next to Broots.

Broots looked at the young boy curiously. "Where did you hear the word 'wad'? I'm sure Mr. Raines didn't allow that kind of language to be used around you."

"Nah. I've been watching something called Nick at Nite. It has been playing some very interesting programs. Like one – Up your nose with a rubber hose." Thomas thought to himself for a moment. "I believe that they are trying to persuade others with threats of physical violence. But I'm not quite sure.'

Broots just sat there and blinked his eyes. "Thomas. I think you better have someone watch those shows with you to explain them." Broots thought for a moment. "How did you get in here?"

Thomas smiled. "I bribed the guard with a sleeve of Chip Ahoy cookies to let me in here. But I think he would have let me anyway. I think they are guarding us more now than guarding themselves. Miss Parker has decreed that above all else, we are to be safe. I would think that would include you."

Broots loved how Thomas looked at things. "How did you get a sleeve of Chip Ahoy cookies?"

Just then, Thomas pulled another sleeve of cookies from his sweatshirt pocket. "From when we raided the kitchen."

Broots shook his head. "You escaped and stole cookies?"

Thomas threw his head back and laughed again. "No. The guard and I got them this morning. To eat for breakfast."

Broots eyed Thomas suspiciously. "You're trying to tell me that this facility let you have cookies for breakfast. I find that hard to believe."

Thomas shook his head. "Well when the nutrionist found out, she did make me give the sleeve back." Thomas smiled. "Well at least I gave her one sleeve back. I didn't show her the other three I had."

Broots wondered if Jarod would have been this mischievous if he had been left to grow as a normal child. "So you bribed the guard to let you in here. Why aren't you with your family?"

Thomas looked down at his feet, distress written on his face. "Don't know."

Broots could tell the young man was troubled. "Did something happen? You look upset. Did Miss Parker get news from the Centre?"

Thomas shook his head no. "Nothing like that. It's just that sometimes…" Thomas wasn't sure how to express himself properly. "They're a family."

Realizing that Thomas was trying to confide in him, Broots pushed the food table aside and set himself to listen. "They're your family too Thomas."

Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes. "I know that – mentally. Jarod, Margaret, Charles, they've all been great. But…"

"You'll feel an attachment to them soon enough. You just have to give it time. Mr. Raines was the only authority figure you've known since you were born. Just let them love you. There is nothing stronger than the love between a parent and a child. Even if that child has been away from you for a while." Broots placed his hand on Thomas's shoulder, trying to hide the tears forming in his own eyes as his words led him to thoughts of Debbie.

Thomas saw Broots' misty eyes and realized what the man was thinking. "I'm sure your daughter is fine. It must be horrible for you to be separated from her." Thomas wiped a hand past his own eyes. "Would you like me to try and see if I can break into the Centre security system again while you eat dinner? Maybe we can see how she is doing?" Thomas jumped up to go retrieve the laptop sitting on Broots' nightstand.

Broots looked over at the tray of food. "Not sure if I have much of an appetite." Broots turned to look at Thomas. "Do your parents know where you are? Is there something you should be doing with them?"

With the computer being hugged to him like a security blanket, Thomas stopped dead in his tracks.

Broots' expression turned grave. "What's the matter Thomas?"

"Lily woke up." He stated the words simply.

A smile came over Broots' face. "Well that's great. I bet Jarod and Miss Parker are ecstatic." The smile faded as Broots looked at Thomas. "It is a good thing, isn't it?"

Thomas came, sat next to Broots, and let everything come out. "Something happened and she got sick again. We were in her room and then she couldn't breathe and then Jarod got mad because they kicked him out of her room. Mom is crying. Dad is trying to stay calm, but I can see that he's upset too. Miss Parker took Jarod somewhere to calm him down. Emily is beside herself trying to take care of Mom and Dad. And I…" Thomas stopped talking abruptly.

Broots looked at the young man with concern. "And you…" Broots nudged on.

Thomas shook his head and placed the computer on his lap, took his forehead into his hands. "And I don't know how I feel. I mean, she's my sister supposedly…sorta. I should feel something like they do." Thomas quickly looked up at Broots. "Am I more like Raines than my own family?"

Broots shook his head adamantly. "You are nothing like Mr. Raines. Believe me, I know. You're just overwhelmed Thomas. I know I would be in your situation. I mean – first you find out that Jarod didn't kill your parents and that you are a clone. Which – by the way – had been anyone else I think they would have freaked and bolted a year ago. Then you're whisked off by a man you don't know, moved all over the country, running from Sweepers, and then you end up here. Where you find your mother, your sister Emily, your half brother Ethan, and Lily who you didn't even know existed. Don't worry about trying to feel something. It's a wonder that you haven't had a nervous breakdown by now. I know I sure need one." Broots let out a huge sigh.

Thomas reached out and placed his hand over Broots'. "Thank you." Both men were silent for a moment. "I think I have just made my first friend."

Shaking his head yes, Broots ruffled the boys hair. "You bet. If we ever get out of this alive, I think that Sydney would be a good person to talk to."

Confusion shot across Thomas' face. "Sydney? Like at the Centre Sydney? Isn't he the enemy?"

"He's not an enemy Thomas, he's actually an ally. I'm counting on him right now. That he's watching over Debbie." Broots' thoughts wandered to his daughter.

At the Centre……

Sydney entered Debbie Broots' room. "Hello Debbie. How are you today?"

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Friendship is like a torrent affair.

A macramé of valleys and crescendos.

The Players are woven together.

But can their love sustain them all?


	82. Are There Enemies Within?

Friendship is like a torrent affair.

A macramé of valleys and crescendos.

The Players are woven together.

But can their love sustain them all?

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Thomas reached out and placed his hand over Broots'. "Thank you." Both men were silent for a moment. "I think I have just made my first friend."

Shaking his head yes, Broots ruffled the boys hair. "You bet. If we ever get out of this alive, I think that Sydney would be a good person to talk to."

Confusion shot across Thomas' face. "Sydney? Like at the Centre Sydney? Isn't he the enemy?"

"He's not an enemy Thomas, he's actually an ally. I'm counting on him right now. That he's watching over Debbie." Broots' thoughts wandered to his daughter.

At the Centre……

Sydney entered Debbie Broots' room. "Hello Debbie. How are you today?"

Debbie looked up at the older gentleman with suspicious eyes. "Hello Sydney."

Sydney noted the slender girl's slumped posture and the circles under her eyes. "Are you all right Debbie? You look extremely tired."

Debbie straightened up, pushing herself up against the wall. "I've been better." She flippantly replied back. "I don't necessarily like being a lab rat."

Sydney chuckled to himself at the nickname that Parker normally called Jarod. "I can understand your agitation at your containment, but you are not being physically hurt. Are you?" Sydney would not let Raines touch one hair on Debbie's head.

"Besides being pushed around by…what did they call themselves?? Oh yeah – Sweepers. No one has touched me. Though they keep playing this music into my room and then I get sleepy. I've been fighting it and getting one heck of a headache." Debbie looked up at Sydney. "I've been fighting sleep. I feel like someone is always watching me. Trying to mess with me."

Sydney stood and thought for a moment. He had to get Debbie out of here. Raines was starting to use his mind control games again and who knew how long she could hold out.

"Listen to me very carefully Debbie." Sydney positioned himself so that his hands were hidden from the cameras. "You must get your rest."

Broots had told Sydney that Debbie had become interested in sign language. He started very carefully signing letter by letter what he wanted her to really know. Do not listen to the music. You're in danger. He hoped Debbie caught what he had spelled.

Debbie paled more, if that had even been possible. "It's just so hard Sydney with that music playing all the time. But I'll try my best." Debbie emphasized the last sentence, telling Sydney she understood what he was saying. Debbie thought for a moment. "Sydney, do you have any gum on you?"

"Gum?" Sydney ruffled through his pockets and pulled out the pack of gum he had retrieved from Broots' desk. He had thought to give it to Debbie as a peace offering. "Here you go." Sydney handed the young lady the pack. "All right then my dear. I will leave you to it. Good night Debbie. I'll see you tomorrow." Sydney gave a small nod and headed for the door. It instantly opened. "Hello Mr. Raines." Sydney muttered under his breath.

As Sydney was exiting, Debbie took a piece of the gum and pushed it into her mouth. About five minutes later, Debbie got up and went into the bathroom. She went to the sink and turned the water on. She started splashing her face and in turn took a small piece of the gum out of her mouth. Grimacing on the inside, she concealed the piece in her hand and started splashing her ears and hair. Quickly, she shoved the piece of gum into her ear. She could hear her father's voice yelling at her not to stick foreign objects into her nose and ears. It made her smile.

She quickly did the same with the other ear. There. That would hopefully keep out or at least filter the sound. Now all she had to do was figure out how the heck to get out of here.

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Becky sat with her electronic keyboard in the arboretum. She had gone there to try to find some solace for the pain that was searing through her soul. Everything was such a mess. Catherine Parker's presence filled her every waking moment. There were others with her now also. Becky knew something was about to happen. And it wasn't necessarily good.

She pulled out the sheet music for a musical that just fit her mood. The Secret Garden had dark haunting music that told the story about love, death, and life. Pushing a few of the controls, Becky set the keyboard to play the flowing accompaniment. Her fingers started dancing over the keys, the lyrics reminding her of the Centre…and Angel's Hope.

_High on the hill sits a big old house with something wrong inside it. Spirits haunt the halls and make no effort now to hide it. What will put their souls to rest and stop their ceaseless sighing? Why do they call out children's names and speak of one who's crying._

Meanwhile, at the medical wing…

"Where do you think you are going?" The stern voice came from behind Lily.

Lily visibly winced at her stupidity. Of course Joan would know she was going to leave. It was becoming a pattern. Lily turned to see Joan, with a robe draped over her arm, and her Security team standing behind her. "Well it was worth a try."

"March young lady." Joan pointed down the hall as she handed Lily the robe.

Lily grabbed the robe and put it on. "Am I being sent to my room? Court marshaled? Locked away in the tower?" Lily responded in a flippant manner, her voice rising with each question.

Charles poked his head out of Margaret's room. "Lily! Why is she out of bed? Should she be out of bed? What did the doctor say? Is everything all right?"

Lily rolled her eyes showing her disgust with the whole situation.

"Lily?" Margaret said as she joined her husband in the hall followed by Ethan and then Emily. "We were so worried."

Lily felt that panic build inside her again. She wasn't ready to face everyone and she wanted to get back to the Centre. "I'm fine." She spoke shortly to her parents, then turned back to Joan. "I have to go."

Joan, not knowing whether Lily was running from her parents or Angel's Hope, answered solemnly. "No."

"You want to leave?" Margaret asked concerned. "You're in no condition to leave." Lines of worry creased Margaret's face as she looked to Joan.

Ignoring Margaret, Lily threw her arms up into the air. She winced with pain from the catheter site. "Are you going to just leave him there? Let them do whatever they want with him?"

Emily came around her parents. "Leave who where?"

Joan tried to keep her temper under control. "I told you before and I agree with your mother. You are in no condition to leave this facility, let alone go back to the Centre."

Margaret gasped. Charles put a loving arm around his wife.

Lily glared at Joan. "You just want to keep me here, tucked away like a little porcelain doll. But I don't break that easy Joan."

Emily couldn't help herself. "Didn't look that way to me." She looked into her furious sister's eyes as she swung to face her. "You came back here unconscious on a stretcher."

"This doesn't concern you Emily." Lily snapped back.

"Doesn't it?" Emily retaliated as she came stomping the rest of the way out from behind her parents. "You're talking about Mr. Lyle aren't you?"

Margaret and Charles gave Emily a stern look. Her mother spoke up first. "Emily, I don't think this is the best time…"

Emily turned back to her parents. "When is it a good time? We've been walking on egg shells ever since she got back." Emily turned back to Lily. "You want to set that murderer free? He deserves whatever he's getting."

Lily looked at her sister with cold eyes. "You don't know anything about him Emily."

Emily's gaze was equal to Lily's. "I know that he murdered our brother. Or did you forget that. He's spent years hunting our family, hunting your twin brother. Don't we matter here at all Lily?"

Lily spoke through clenched teeth. "You don't even know Bobby."

Fury raged in Emily's eyes. "I know him. He's the one who ordered that I be thrown out a second story window. I know he is the man who murdered Kyle. I know he hunted Mom and almost killed her. How much more of our families' blood does he have to have on his hands before you can see it?"

Visibly trembling, Lily still stood her ground. "You don't know what we went through. He's not the same person."

"Isn't he?" Her father broke in. "I have to agree with Emily. I don't want you risking your life to save that man."

"What difference does my life make? You have Jarod. That's all that matters. He's the genius with the heart of gold. If you want to name Bobby a murderer, then you'll have to name me one too. I was right there beside him creating those simulations. I have blood on my hands. Thousands of people." Tears were shimmering in the corners of Lily's eyes. "He's the only one who knows me and I'm the only one who really knows him."

"It's not the same Lily. You were a child…" Charles tried to explain.

"I won't leave him again unprotected and alone to face that monster." Lily's demeanor changed as if a switch clicked off. She was shutting her emotions out.

Broots and Thomas cracked open the door to see what the commotion was in the hall.

Emily rolled her eyes. "He's the monster Lily. You want the past changed, but it's what it is. You can't expect me to believe you love him. That's right - I said it - she loves him. And you want us to believe that he loves you. Right?" Emily looked at those around her and then back at Lily. "Anyone care to jump in. No?" She turned back to Lily. "And what about your child? Don't you want to protect it from the Centre? That means protecting it from it's own father. If you go back there Lily, if you free him - I will never speak to you again."

Lily started advancing on Emily. "I am perfectly aware of my situation. Do what you must Emily. I will not leave him there." Just as Lily was about to reach Emily, she felt a prick in her arm. She turned to see Joan standing there with a hypodermic in her hand. "I won't leave…" Lily staggered and collapsed as one of the Security team caught her.

Margaret ran to her daughter and looked up at Joan. "Why did you do that?" She brushed the long tendrils of hair from Lily's face.

"Because Lily's right and none of you can see it. I'm not sure you are ready to hear the secrets that surround this place." Joan leaned down on one knee to face Margaret. "Lily was trained to be a killer Margaret. She was going after Emily. I could see the change in her eyes. We tried to circumvent the torture she went through while she was here. Give her an alternate path than destruction. But deep down she was always the soldier. With the chip gone, we have to be very careful." Joan placed her hand over Margaret's. "Her sanity is very much at the edge right now. She's trying to assimilate all her new memories, her past, and her feelings for Bobby. They are very strong."

Charles joined his wife. "Joan. We have been battling the Centre for thirty years. Our feelings over this man are not going to change."

Joan looked sadly into Charles' eyes. "Then realize then that you may lose Lily in the process." Stedman signaled for the guards to take Lily. "She can't be a part of your world, if you can't come to terms with hers." Joan stood and followed the team carrying Lily.

Margaret looked up at Charles. "What are we going to do?"

Broots closed the door as Thomas backed away from it. "And these are the people you want me to call family?" Broots just looked at the young man perplexed by what to say.

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In another part of Angel's Hope, Becky was playing the music that was flowing from her.

_And the master hears the whispers on the stairway dark and still. And the spirits speak of secrets in the house upon the hill. _

Becky could feel the pain generating from everyone. Knew that a battle was raging – outside and inside everyone at Angel's Hope. The secrets….their lives had always been about the secrets…

Becky could feel Angelo connecting with her. He was watching someone…Raines.

_High on the hill sits a big old house with something wrong inside it. Someone died and someone's left alone and can't abide it. There in the house is a lonely man still haunted by her beauty. Asking what a life can be where naught remains but duty._

Becky's hands slammed down on the keys as she realized what she was seeing and empathing through Angelo.

Raines had pulled out the picture of Catherine. The one he always kept locked in his desk. She had been so beautiful back then. He touched the picture gently. Why couldn't she have seen him instead of his brother? Seen that he was a living, breathing man. But she could never see past strong, handsome Robert. In retaliation he married Catherine's friend Edna.

But it was he who was the father of her children. He who had been present when they had been born. Robert had been told early in the marriage that he couldn't father children. Knew that the Parker name had to go on. So he had turned to him to rectify the situation. And then the twins had been born. He took the boy. It was his and Catherine's son, not Robert's. The girl became her father's pride and joy. Raines growled as he thought how it ate at him that little Miss Parker looked at her father as if he was the world. The way Catherine had looked at him in the beginning. Before she had found out the truth about her darling husband.

Everything he had done was for the continuation of the Centre. The resentment that he held for his own father was beyond contempt. Lily was right – he had been thrown out like a broken, discarded toy. Not worthy to carry the Parker name. But once he found out who he was, he had funneled all his energy into revenge. And pay back.

So now it was all his. But the cost had been steep. His daughter, his wife, and Catherine. In the end she had finally come to him. Even if it was only for assistance escaping from Robert; a lie that he had spread so that Catherine would be forced to come to him for help. But he had been the person who put her in that situation and he was the one who had rectified it. What had Robert said in Carthis - long live the Centre. At all costs. And the cost had been high.

Raines opened the drawer and put Catherine's picture back. Why did it feel like someone was always watching him? He looked around the room as Angelo crept back into the air ducts trying to break his empathic connection with his sister...

Becky tried to push the feelings she had read from Raines away from her. She knew he believed he had loved Catherine Parker, but Becky had felt the true feeling - obsession. He had been so obsessed with her that he had no choice but to kill her. Her goodness illuminated the blackness that was his soul. Becky in those last minutes of connection had seen Catherine's murder in his mind. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and got violently sick....

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Parker lay curled in Jarod's arms, content to just be happy for this one moment in time. After making love for hours, her Pretender had finally succumbed to a peaceful sleep. She wondered if it was the first time he had slept without all the nightmares that normally invaded his dreams.

She should have been asleep herself, except that something had been slowly creeping into her. An uneasiness she couldn't quite describe. Not enough for her to wake Jarod, but she knew something was wrong. Tomorrow she would have to face Jarod and tell him that they didn't have the luxury to wait much longer. Her inner sense told her that. At times Parker could swear that she heard her mother crying, almost a wailing sound. And there were others also.

Her mother's children were being hurt and even beyond the grave it distressed her. Parker had concluded that Raines was probably torturing Lyle, Bobby – whoever he was at the moment. Lily had lain near death for weeks and still now her prognosis was unknown. Jarod's family was on edge. Joan was cool, but Parker could tell now that the woman was frantic to keep Angel's Hope protected. Becky had changed since her return from the Centre. What once had been a happy-go-lucky person, she was now withdrawn and solemn. Keeping to herself and when she was seen there was such sorrow in her eyes. Parker knew first hand that sorrow – she had seen it in Jarod's eyes.

Slowly, so not to wake Jarod, she moved her hand over her stomach. A subconscious protective gesture. Her child. She never thought she would ever get to say that word ever. Her child.

"Our child." Jarod whispered over her shoulder as if he had read her mind.

Parker turned slightly to see his smiling face. "What are you doing awake? You're supposed to be sleeping."

Jarod kissed her cheek softly. "Light sleeper remember. I could say the same for you. You're supposed to be resting."

She turned fully facing him. "I am resting, just not sleeping."

Jarod took his finger and traced the worry lines that seemed to be etched onto her face lately. "You need to sleep. If not for you, then for the baby."

"The baby is fine Jarod. Stop worrying. Everyone is doing nothing but worrying. Pretty soon someone is going to snap like a violin string." She couldn't help herself and started to trace the well-defined muscles in his chest.

Jarod caught her hand. "No more of that. Sleep remember."

"You take away all my fun." Parker made a semi pout face.

Jarod laughed out loud. "I think three hours is enough fun for one night. You trying to kill me woman?"

Parker gave Jarod that I'm up to no good smile. "Have been for years."

Jarod smirked. "Well I guess I can think of worse ways of going. But seriously, I want you to sleep." He looked at her face, which had gone from smiling to melancholy. "What's wrong? Are you having problems sleeping? Should I call Dr. Berez?"

Parker hit him in the chest. "Do not call that poor doctor. It's bad enough you have her run for every little thing. If I stub my toe, you page her."

Jarod looked lovingly into Parker's eyes. "I'm just trying to take care of you and the baby."

Parker chuckled. "There is such a thing as over kill. We're fine Jarod. It's just…" Parker trailed off not knowing how to tell him how she had been feeling.

Jarod could now read that something was wrong. "What is it Parker? I know you. You don't get like this over nothing."

Parker ran her fingers down the line of his chin. "It's just a feeling I've been getting Jarod. Like we are running out of time. And…"

Jarod cradled her face and brought it to his. He kissed her thoroughly. As he pulled away he whispered. "And…"

She laid her head on his chest. "I've been hearing my mother crying."

Jarod rested his chin on the top of her head. "Crying? Why?"

Parker shook her head slightly. "I'm not sure. I think it may have to do with everything that has happened. Lily, Lyle, Angel's Hope, everything." Parker looked up at Jarod. "I need to start strategizing tomorrow Jarod. We have to be mobilized within two weeks."

Jarod looked puzzled. "Why two weeks?"

Parker shrugged. "I don't know. But two weeks is what my senses are telling me. Just on the fact that Debbie is there, I want to go now." She put her hand up over Jarod's mouth to stop the protest she knew was coming. "But I know that would be fool hearty. It has to be soon Jarod." She looked into his chestnut brown eyes and he knew she was serious.

Her inner sense had never been wrong up to this point in their lives. So he had to trust it now. He just wasn't sure if they were ready to confront the Centre. "Are you sure we will be ready?"

Parker smiled. "Yep. Because I have boy genius on my team. Start simulating."

"How about we just sleep for right now? Simulate tomorrow." Jarod pulled her closer into his embrace. Just for tonight he wanted her asleep in his arms. So that they both could get the sleep that they desperately needed. After some time of cuddling with each other, they drifted off to sleep.

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After recovering from her merge with Angelo, Becky went to see Lily. She had found out that Lily had been moved and sedated per Joan's orders. Her gifts had warned her something had happened, but not to this extent. She had asked Fred is she could spend some time with her sister and he had agreed.

Becky walked in and saw Lily's sleeping figure tucked into her bed. This wasn't Lily. Lily always moved all over the bed – mostly Becky knew because of the nightmares. But they had sedated her to the point that not even her demons could reach her.

Approaching the bed quietly, she came around and untucked one side of the covers. Becky lifted Lily and slipped in underneath her. She cradled Lily's head in her lap, brushing her hair back from her face. She knew Lily hated when her hair got into her face. It was then Becky felt it.

Quickly she looked around the room, but saw no one. Instinctively Becky brought her hands across the front of Lily in a defensive gesture. She hugged her sister close to her and closed her eyes.

Becky gasped as she realized they were surrounded by the essence of many souls. With her empathic abilities, she could read who some of them were. Lily's brother Kyle – a strong individual with a haunted past like theirs. Anger – his was a soul filled with anger and pain. Another drew her attention – a woman with a smiling face. Becky felt like she should know this person…a name, she needed a name…Edna.

Even though the woman seemed to emote peace, Becky couldn't help but shrink down to her sister. She laid her head on top of Lily's. No one was going to hurt or take Lily from her. Not ever again.

A strong forced pulled her to the other side of the room, which had become noticeably colder. A very handsome man stood before her. He had rugged good looks and dark hair. He generated sorrow. Lost love…Thomas. His name was Thomas. Thomas Gates.

On another level of Angel's Hope, Parker sat straight up and whispered. "Thomas."

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In the Game everyone has a part.

Everyone has a past.

The Players fit together like a puzzle.

Will their love help to fit the awkward pieces back together again?


	83. Past Lives

In the Game everyone has a part.

Everyone has a past.

The Players fit together like a puzzle.

Will their love help to fit the awkward pieces back together again?

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Becky gasped as she realized they were surrounded by the essence of many souls. With her empathic abilities, she could read who some of them were. Lily's brother Kyle – a strong individual with a haunted past like theirs. Anger – his was a soul filled with anger and pain. Another drew her attention – a woman with a smiling face. Becky felt like she should know this person…a name, she needed a name…Edna.

Even though the woman seemed to emote peace, Becky couldn't help but shrink down to her sister. She laid her head on top of Lily's. No one was going to hurt or take Lily from her. Not ever again.

A strong forced pulled her to the other side of the room, which had become noticeably colder. A very handsome man stood before her. He had rugged good looks and dark hair. He generated sorrow. Lost love…Thomas. His name was Thomas. Thomas Gates.

On another level of Angel's Hope, Parker sat straight up and whispered. "Thomas."

Jarod stirred next to her. "Nightmare?" He asked softly, having heard her whisper Tommy's name. A part of him cringed that his interference had ended up hurting her so bad and killing a good man. He should have anticipated that the Centre would never have let her go. He hadn't banked on Tommy trying to take her away from Blue Cove immediately. Again, he had miscalculated.

Parker had a far off look on her face. "No. I think my Inner Sense is working overtime. It's like I can feel Tommy here. Almost like I felt my Mother. But why would I feel that here? Tommy was no where near this place."

Pulling her into his arms, Jarod cradled Parker gently against his chest. "I don't know. He never mentioned being in Colorado ever. But then he kept a lot of his past secretive besides the loss of his parents. I didn't push since I wasn't offering my past willingly either."

Relaxing in his arms a little, Parker started analyzing. "Secrets…our whole lives are filled with them. Do you think our child will be able to live without all the secrets and lies?"

Jarod kissed Parker's head. "I hope so." He paused a moment just inhaling her scent into his lungs. "You better get some sleep. We have to be up in a couple of hours."

"Sleep. Yeah right. I sleep as soundly these days as if I'm wired on caffeine and cigarettes." Parker thought about the beginning years when she was chasing Jarod. She had lived on caffeine, booze, and cigarettes. Not a good combination and it had almost killed her.

"None of that while you are carrying my child." Jarod said with a stern tone.

Now Parker laughed outright. "_Your_ child. Only your child?"

"You know what I mean. Now close your eyes and dream of only good things. Puppy dogs, kittens, ice cream…"

Parker shook her head. "How about a cute little bunny that's waiting for us to come home? I can't believe I'm actually going along with this. The hormones must be getting to me. If I start knitting, shoot me please."

Jarod closed his eyes just reveling in the fact that he had Parker in his arms. "It may be a good idea for you to give me your gun until after the baby is born."

Parker smiled. "No way. Because the first real contraction and I'm either getting really good drugs or shooting the first thing I see."

"You're suppose to pant, not shoot." Jarod bantered back as he was drifting off to sleep.

Parker started slipping into sleep also. "You do things your way…. I'll do them mine…" And both slipped off into peaceful sleep.

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Becky had fallen asleep with her body protectively around Lily. A noise at the door woke her up immediately. She could hear Mark arguing with the guard at the door. Becky started to panic knowing she wasn't supposed to be in here and she didn't want to get Fred in trouble.

Becky carefully, but quickly got out from beneath Lily. Poor Lily was still dead to the world. Boy was she going to be mad when she woke up. Becky looked around the room and settled on the clothes closet that sat almost next to the bed. She crossed and opened the doors, slipping inside just as Mark pushed the door open.

Fred looked around, bewildered, wondering where Becky had gone. He hoped that both she and he didn't end up getting in trouble.

"You can leave now Fred. I have permission to be in here – I'm her psychiatrist." Mark shooed the man toward the door.

Fred looked at the man strangely. "Just make sure you don't wake her. It'll come soon enough and you know she's always testy after being sedated."

Mark sternly looked at the man. "In twenty two years, have I ever awakened her? Now go." Mark pointed to the door.

Becky thought 'twenty-two years' to herself. Why would Mark be visiting her at night for twenty-two years? Secrets….always secrets…

After Fred left the room, Mark pulled up a chair next to Lily. He straightened her blanket neatly around her. "Have a rough night honey? You're sheets are always a mess when you've had a bad night. It's all right. I'm here now. I'll take care of you." He adjusted the pillows under her head. Lily stirred slightly.

"Ssshhhhh." He crooned as he ran his fingers through her hair. "No monsters can reach you here. Haven't I always seen to it?" Mark's expression began to darken. "Until you left to go to the Centre. You couldn't listen to me. You always have to have that stubborn streak a mile long. Had to go research it yourself. Had to go find _him_."

Lily moaned in her sleep.

At the Centre, Bobby awoke with a sense that Lily was in danger. He took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. Raines had turned the music off. He tried to drag himself into a clearer state. He concentrated on Lily….

Mark gently ran his fingers down Lily's face. She was so beautiful. He especially loved her chestnut brown eyes. They lit up and sparkled when she was excited about something. He had loved looking into those eyes. Eyes where he only saw affection for him in them, all the while his eyes burned with love for her. She had agreed to marry him, but she would never commit to a date. Deep down Mark knew why….

Bobby relaxed into his pillow. He could see Lily's face as if she was right there in front of him. Her beautiful smile that could light up a room. Even in their worse of times, one smile from Lily and Bobby knew everything would be all right.

Lily and Bobby had formed a special bond as children. She would make up stories that the Centre was a giant evil castle and that Bobby was her brave knight. His lady fair was she. He now understood the bond that Jarod and Parker had. Strife forms bonds that could endure anything. Bobby hoped that Lily was coping with whatever was happening with her. Worry lines appeared on his face. Something didn't feel right….

"Why Lily?" Mark spoke knowing that she couldn't really hear him. "Why couldn't you feel for me the same way you felt for _him_? You couldn't even remember him and yet you couldn't let him go. All this time I was the one by your side. I took care of you, watched out for you, but you never could just walk into my arms and stay.

Mark got up and started pacing the short distance between the bed and the closet. Becky pulled herself as far back as she could, trying to stay in the shadows. She had never been afraid of Mark before, but right in this moment she was scared to death. But she knew she needed to hear what he was saying. Secrets…they needed answers to the secrets…

Mark turned sharply back to Lily. "If _he_ disappeared for good we could start again. We could be like other couples, happy and carefree. You would be free. I could help you get over the pain and loss." His face turned into a scowl. "I know what the pain of losing someone feels like."

He went and sat back next to the bed. "I know you want the past undone. To never have been taken and have the atrocities done to you as a child. Able to grow up like other normal children. To have won the battles lost. I understand your need to save everyone. It's been your responsibility since you were seven years old. If you had never loved him, never known him, you would never have rejected me. If he disappeared we could start again. We could be happy then."

Becky's eyes grew in fear as Mark pulled a vile of medication and a syringe from his pocket. He drew a small amount into the syringe, opened an alcohol pack, swabbed and shot the needle into the crook of Lily's arm. Becky had to keep herself from screaming in protest all the while straining to hear what Mark was saying. She knew in Mark's current state she would be in real danger. Something had terribly changed in him.

Mark leaned down to Lily. "What I am going to do is because I love you with all my heart and I want us to be together free." He kissed her softly on the forehead. "When you wake, you will have no desire to go to the Centre. You will only want to stay at Angel's Hope, wait for my return, and become my wife. You will never think about Bobby again. You will not remember me speaking to you. Only the desire to wait for me and become my wife." His voice dropped an octave. "Forget my brother." He leaned close to her ear. "Hear me in this Lily. I will except nothing less." Lily moaned in her sleep.

Mark stood straight up and dropped the hypodermic in the disposal canister. After looking back at Lily one last time, he left the room.

Becky cautiously slipped out of the closet and went to the canister. She had to find out what was in that hypodermic. Luckily the canister was empty except for that one needle. Becky made a face (she hated needles), picked it up carefully and grabbed a tissue off the nightstand. She wrapped the needle in the tissue.

Suddenly Fred opened the door and Becky jumped. "Miss Becky, I'm sorry. Did you get in trouble for being in Miss Lily's room?"

"No Fred. Mark doesn't know I was in here and you can't tell anyone I was." She approached the man noticing his now perplexed look.

"If you were hiding Miss Becky, I have to report it to Dr. Stedman immediately." The man stopped just in front of her. "I could get in a lot of trouble for just letting you in here."

"It's all right Fred. I want you to go to Dr. Stedman." Becky grabbed the man's hands and placed the needle in it. "Be careful with this. Tell Dr. Stedman that I need this analyzed immediately. Lily's life hangs in the balance."

Fred looked past Becky at Lily. "Did something happen in here I need to know about?"

Becky was pushing him to the door. "Call backup Fred. Get someone to guard this door while you go to Dr. Stedman. And not under any circumstances do you let Mark back into this room. Not until that thing is analyzed."

Fred realized that Becky was very serious and lifted his radio as he exited the door. "I need backup at room…"

Becky turned back to Lily and approached the bed. "OK Lily." Becky picked her up by her shoulders and sat behind her holding Lily sitting up. "You have got to wake up for me. Come on, fight the drugs."

Lily's head flopped back and forth as if she were a rag doll. After a few moments, she started moaning.

"That's a girl. Fight it. Come back to me. I know you can do it. You've done it before." Becky noticed Lily's eyelids began to flutter. "Come on Lily. I need you in the here and now. I'm no good at this spy stuff. Wake up!"

Eyelids sprang open and Lily looked straight at Becky confused and disoriented. "Danger?" Lily whispered.

"Yes, danger Lily." Becky was trying to lift Lily into a more comfortable position when a noise behind her scared her out of her skin.

"What danger?" Jarod asked from the doorway.

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Mark entered his room and went to a picture that was hanging on the far left wall. He tugged on the frame and swung it open to reveal the safe hidden behind the picture. He punched in his code into the electronic lock and placed his thumb on the scanner. The safe clicked open once the scan identified his print.

The manila folder he was looking for sat on top of the other private files that he kept to himself. Information he had collected on Lily, Becky, Joan, and other projects that he wanted no one to know about. But the folder in his hands was the biggest secret of his life.

Mark opened the folder and once again looked at the blood test results that had shocked him and rocked him to the core. The information was irrefutable. He had done the last test himself. Parker's blood had opened up yet another Centre secret. Another Centre lie. He grabbed the copy of the test results he had made and added it to the folders he already had in his briefcase. His evidence to confront Raines.

He placed the folder back in the safe and shut the door. He would have to work quickly before Stedman realized what he was doing. It didn't matter much. No one was paying much attention to him since Jarod had showed up. Even more so after Lily was captured.

Mark quickly picked up the bag he had packed from next to his bed. When Raines and the Centre Sweepers had captured Lily, he thought he was going to kill every living being in that place to get her out. Then Sydney, Becky, and Jarod pulled him out and left Lily with Raines and _him_. When Jarod had returned, Joan had forbid him to go anywhere near Blue Cove.

His plan after that was to dig into Raines' past. See if he could uncover the things Raines kept hidden in the darkest reaches of his soul. A lot of what he had needed was locked in Catherine and Joan's offices. Notes from Catherine to Joan stating she suspected that Raines was really a Parker. DNA reports that had been confiscated from the Centre. And the color files – red, green, blue... Everyone's history. Mark had it all. He took a quick look around the room and then headed out the door.

Once he got out of the confines of Angel's Hope, Mark got into the car he had waiting for him. He wouldn't chance leaving from the Angel's Hope airstrip. He would leave from Denver International. Take a commercial flight to Baltimore. Then he would contact Raines. Make his proposal and then if Raines was in agreement, go to Blue Cove. The man had a lot to answer for. He had played God.

In all, Mark didn't care about any of it. He just wanted Lily and to live in peace. Raines could have the rest. He had no loyalties to Joan or Angel's Hope any more. Joan's concealment of his past had solidified that. She knew, or at least suspected, who he was. It was in her notes. And she hadn't said a word. Now it was his turn for secrets and lies. And he would have Lily and the life they were meant to have. He held the briefcase to his chest as the car sped off to his destiny.

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Jarod stood there waiting for Becky's answer. "What danger Becky?" Jarod could see that Lily was fighting to stay awake. "And what happened with Lily? Why did they move her and why is she drugged like a zombie?"

Becky was still shaking Lily trying to keep her awake. "I'm not sure Jarod. Something bad is going on and I can't quite put my finger on it. First, Lily went after Emily and Joan had her sedated."

Puzzlement washed over Jarod's face. "Why would Lily go after Emily?"

"Because she is sticking her nose in business that doesn't concern her." Lily whispered with a raspy voice.

Jarod approached his sister. "What business Lily? You don't attack family over business."

Lily tried focusing on Jarod. "She hates Bobby." Lily ran her tongue over her dry lips. "Can I have some water please."

Jarod jumped up and went to the moveable table that held a water pitcher and a glass. He poured the water and came back to Lily, gently tipping it to her lips. "So what does this have to do with danger?"

Becky looked at Lily and then Jarod. "Mark injected Lily with something. He was trying…"

Lily interrupted. "We're going to get married…no that's not right…I have to wait for him…" Lily was very confused.

"See what I mean." Becky was pleading with Jarod. "She doesn't love Mark, she loves Bobby." Becky gasped as she said out loud what she knew Lily had been feeling. She put her hand over her mouth.

Lily was looking far off. "I love Mark…I love Mark…" She hesitated and then looked up at Jarod. "I don't love Mark do I?"

Jarod wished it wasn't true, but somewhere deep inside he had dreaded his sister's feelings for Lyle. "No Lily, you don't love Mark. Fond of him maybe, but you are not in love with him." Jarod looked up at Becky. "What did he give her?"

Becky shook her head. "I don't know. I was hiding in the closet…"

"What were you doing in the closet?" Joan Stedman said from the doorway.

"Hiding." Becky replied indignantly. "If you hadn't forbidden me to enter the room, I wouldn't have to be sneaking around."

"And how did you get past the guard? Why do I even bother trying to control you people?" Joan said exasperated.

"The guards know that I won't hurt her. Not like other people you do let in that do!" Becky retaliated.

"Down girl." Lily tapped Becky's hand. "Seems Mark slipped me a Mickey."

"A Mickey? Will someone please explain to me what is going on?" Joan hated when she lost control.

"Mark shot her full of some drug and was trying to convince her to marry him." Becky started to explain.

"The needle you sent to my office. It'll take some time for us to analyze what it is." Joan started to get a knot in her stomach.

"He said that he has been doing it for twenty two years. All her feelings for him were manufactured from a drug. The slime, the…"

"Wait for him." Lily blurted out softly.

"Wait for who Lily?" Jarod asked.

Lily tried to concentrate on the voice she had heard in her head. "Wait for my return." Lily's head was beginning to throb. "He said – wait for my return. He's going somewhere?" Lily was analyzing her memories. Fighting the compulsion to forget, a buzzing ringing in her ears. Realization hit her. "He's going somewhere." She stated more firmly. Lily looked up at Joan. "Find him Joan. Find him now. Don't let him leave Angel's Hope."

Joan paled. "He's already left Lily."

Lily's chestnut brown eyes darkened to dark brown. "Where was he going Joan?"

"He was supposed to be going to investigate a possible relocation site in case we had to evacuate. What are you worried about Lily?" Joan was flipping her phone out as she was talking to Lily.

Lily's face was etched with worried lines. "Something's not right. It doesn't feel right."

Becky thought about what was happening, trying to piece the puzzle pieces together. She started pacing around. "OK Let me try to work this all out." It was as if Becky were talking aloud to herself. "Last night I felt as if Lily was being guarded."

"Hello, this is Dr. Stedman. I need to know if Mark has left the facility yet…" Joan started conversing with her Security team.

Jarod was focusing on Becky as she put together what he considered the preliminary simulation format. "Yes Becky. Lily's room is guarded by Security."

Becky looked up. "Not that way Jarod. Guards sent by Catherine surround her. I can feel them all around her, standing sentinel. Like they are waiting for something to happen." Becky looked with sadness at Jarod. "Your brother Kyle is amongst them." She walked up to Jarod and ran her hand down his arm feeling the pain radiate off him at the mention of his brother. "He's at peace Jarod. No one can hurt him now. I could feel that he doesn't want you to blame yourself." She turned back toward Lily. "There is an Edna, but I don't know her. Least I don't think I know her. She feels familiar, yet not."

"Edna Raines." Jarod said. "Could it be Edna Raines Becky?"

Lily looked up at Jarod. "Raines had a sister?"

Jarod shook his head no. "His wife."

Becky cringed. "Someone actually married that man?"

"Yes." Jarod started to explain. "In my research, I found that she was working with Catherine Parker and Jacob. The man who rescued you."

"Well then it seems she is still working with Catherine even in death." Lily commented.

"There was also a man I felt I knew, but didn't recognize. I heard the name Thomas Gates." Becky hated when she couldn't decipher what visions and feelings she was receiving.

Lily smiled. "Becky, it's Tommy. Remember on my team six years ago? Drop dead gorgeous, you had a crush on for months Tommy?"

Becky's eyes lit up as she realized whom she was talking about. "I remember him now. He was skinnier then and didn't have such big muscles. His last name was Gates?"

Jarod's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "You two know Thomas Gates? Tommy worked for Angel's Hope?"

Joan shut her phone and caught the tail end of the conversation. "Thomas Gates was one of our operatives Jarod."

Jarod could have been knocked over with a feather. "You sent him after me?"

Joan shook her head. "Thomas running into you was just a benefit for what he was really doing, setting up his cover and helping to disband that nasty business that you both cleared up. I was sending him after Melissa."

Lily gave Joan a stern look. "You told me Tommy died on his last assignment." The realization of what Joan was saying hit her. "You sent one of my operatives to guard Parker and the Centre killed him didn't they."

Jarod's anger matched Lily's. "You sent him to seduce Parker?"

Joan returned the stern look right back at the two. "No Jarod, you did." Jarod's face flushed as he remembered the conversations that he and Tommy had had. "He told me you told him all about Melissa. That you thought that he would be good for her." Joan stepped closer to Jarod and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "In the end, the decision was Thomas'. He really had fallen in love with her. The ruse of leaving Blue Cove to move across the country was his way of trying to get her here. Where he thought they would be safe. He didn't count on the Centre retaliation so quickly."

Lily was shaking her head. "He always was head strong. I must have told him a thousand times never to become complacent in your surroundings. Always be on your guard." Lily looked up at Jarod. "You sent him to Parker even with the way you felt about her?"

Jarod shook off his anger and grief. "I wanted her to be happy. I wanted her away from the Centre. Thomas seemed like the kind of guy who would do that. Was I played." Jarod moved away from Stedman.

"Jarod. We all do what we have to do to survive. Thomas didn't betray you. He just left out a lot of the facts. Just like you did with him. It is the world we live in." Joan tried to convince Jarod that they had not deceived him.

"Speaking of our world, what is the status on Mark?" Lily asked slipping back into her role as protector.

Joan's face turned to stone. "He's gone. And he didn't take the Angel's Hope plane. I sent the Retrieval team to the airport to try and catch up with him."

Lily looked at Joan with panic in her eyes. "They won't catch him. How long ago did he leave?"

"About an hour ago Lily." Joan said stoically. "How did I not see this coming?"

"Because of me. You are spending too much time worrying about me and not dedicating yourself to Angel's Hope. Our main focus has got to be on getting everyone to a secure location and locking down Angel's Hope." Lily started to formulate plans.

"That's not the plan I have initiated."

Lily turned to see Parker standing in the doorway. "We need to relocate, but we're abandoning Angel's Hope."

"No. We will never abandon Angel's Hope. Not as long as I'm in charge." Lily pushed herself up as if she were going to get out of bed.

"Well then isn't it a good thing that you're not in charge, I am." Parker glared at Lily as she folded her arms over her chest.

Lily glared at Parker. "We'll just see about that!" Lily crossed her arms across her chest as the room fell into a stalemate.

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Tempers are flaring.

Anger is flying.

The Players in the Game are pitted against each other.

Or can they overcome hatred for love?


	84. Beginning of the End

Tempers are flaring.

Anger is flying.

The Players in the Game are pitted against each other.

Or can they overcome hatred for love?

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"Because of me. You are spending too much time worrying about me and not dedicating yourself to Angel's Hope. Our main focus has got to be on getting everyone to a secure location and locking down Angel's Hope." Lily started to formulate plans.

"That's not the plan I have initiated."

Lily turned to see Parker standing in the doorway. "We need to relocate, but we're abandoning Angel's Hope."

"No. We will never abandon Angel's Hope. Not as long as I'm in charge." Lily pushed herself up as if she were going to get out of bed.

"Well then isn't it a good thing that you're not in charge, I am." Parker glared at Lily as she folded her arms over her chest.

Lily glared at Parker. "We'll just see about that!" Lily crossed her arms across her chest as the room fell into a stalemate.

Joan put herself between the two women. "Ladies. Enough of this. We have to work together to get through this, not claw each other like felines."

"I'll retract my claws if she will." Lily snapped.

"My claws are always ready and sharp." Parker retorted.

"Parker!" Jarod said as he came up next to her. "Dr. Stedman is right – enough."

Parker glared at Jarod. "I'm in charge of this base. _She_ put me in charge. Remember - before she left on her little vacation." Parker emphasized her last word.

"At least I had the guts to face Raines." Lily volleyed back, trying to push herself out of bed. "I don't see you getting rid of him."

"I didn't see you getting rid of him either. In fact, all I saw was you getting nice and cozy." Parker ignored Jarod's glare.

"Enough I said you two." Joan reprimanded both women. "This arguing will get us no where." Joan turned to Lily. "For right now Lily, Melissa is in charge. You are in no condition to handle this right now. I will have to find another location, one that Mark knows nothing about." Lily fought the tears in her eyes.

Parker smiled wickedly. "I kept a few locations to myself Joan. We can go to the office and discuss it some more." Parker rigidly turned around and headed for the door. She looked over her shoulder. "Jarod. You coming?" She waited coolly for his response.

Jarod looked between his sister and Parker. "I think I'm needed here right now. You go with Dr. Stedman and I'll be along shortly."

Parker let out a short huff. "Fine. Don't take too long. We'll need you."

Jarod came up next to Parker and put his arms around her waist. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "I need you too, but I think I'm needed here more right now. I think we need to work on your people skills some more." He looked over at his sister's mad face. "The situation is bad enough without making things worse."

Parker looked up at Jarod. "I spoke to Emily. Lily wasn't sedated for nothing Jarod. She went after Emily. She's just not in charge enough of her faculties to make rational decisions. I'm doing what has to be done to survive."

Jarod took his fingers and lifted Parker's chin. He caressed her chin with his thumb as he leaned in and gave her a kiss. "She is too. She's just coming at it from a different angle. But in her case her heart is getting in the way. She can't detach herself like we can. Give her some slack. OK?" He kissed her again.

Parker looked past him at Becky fussing with Lily trying to get her calmed down. "With enough rope she could hang us all."

"Parker." Jarod said in an authoritive tone. "I know you are worried about the baby, but Lily is not the enemy."

Parker blinked as in shock. "This has nothing to do with the baby."

Jarod smiled. "It has everything to do with the baby, you just don't want to admit it. Now go. Let me talk to Lily. Maybe I can put two and two together to make four."

Parker shook her head. "You're insane. Do you know that?" She turned to Stedman. "Come on Joan."

Jarod laughed out loud. "Yeah – crazy about you."

Parker exited saying something about that being the corniest thing she had ever heard.

Jarod turned back to Lily to find her sitting in bed with her arms crossed back across her chest. "Lily. What's wrong?"

Lily glared up at her brother. "I don't know. Would you like to screw the knife in my back a little more?"

Jarod pulled up a seat next to Lily's bed. "I am not sticking a knife in your back. I love you. You are my sister and I wouldn't do anything to hurt you." He tried to pull Lily's hand so that he could show her he meant it.

Lily snapped her hand back. "You let her take Angel's Hope away from me Jarod."

Jarod brought his hand back down onto the bed. "If I remember correctly, you put her in charge when you left. And when you came back you were in no condition to take charge again."

"Technicalities Jarod. I'm coherent now. I'm alive and kicking, yet she is still holding onto it. This place is mine!" Lily brought her hands down in a huff and hit the bed. "I want command of Angel's Hope back."

Jarod ran his hand through his hair. "It's not going to be that simple Lily. Joan, Parker – they're all afraid that you aren't up to this. That your behavior could still be erratic. I spoke with Dad before I came here. He told me what happened. Emily is very upset."

Lily closed her eyes in frustration. "I'm sorry I snapped at Emily. Things are just so crazy. I know how I feel…" Lily opened her eyes with tears lining her lower lids. "I know how you all feel. I just don't know right now how to make things balance. Raines isn't controlling me anymore, so I'm the safest bet we have."

Jarod took his finger and wiped the tear that was rolling down Lily's face. "Don't cry. You need to rest, that's the bottom line. With everything you have been through…with everything you are going to have to deal with…" Jarod looked at Lily's stomach. "I know how much pressure there is to always be responsible for everyone's well being. I'm trying to take some of this off Parker. I don't want the baby to suffer." Jarod looked into Lily's eyes. "I don't want your baby to suffer."

Lily stared off. "I'm not even sure about the baby Jarod. Don't worry about us."

Shock crossed Jarod's face. "What do you mean that you're not sure about the baby?"

Lily looked back to Jarod. "Just what I said Jarod. It's my body, I have to decide. I think I'm still in shock." Tears filled Lily's eyes. "I can't say that I was a willing participant in the event and I'm not sure that I would make the best mother."

"Have you thought about how Lyle would feel?" Jarod couldn't believe he was actually caring about what Lyle felt. "He knows that you are pregnant. He knows that he is the father."

Lily looked away again, wiping the tears away with her finger. "We don't even know if he is still alive Jarod. Raines doesn't take betrayal very well."

Jarod gently placed his hand on his sister's arm feeling her pain. "From what Joan has said from her contact, he is still alive."

Lily pictured Bobby's face looking down at her when he had cradled her in the maze. "He gave up his freedom for my life. It isn't fair. I gave up my life for him. He has suffered enough because of me." Lily turned her head back toward Jarod. "He already has a son who needs his love."

Jarod moved a piece of Lily's wayward hair from her face. "I would think that having a child with a person that he loves would be just as important."

A small frown appeared on Lily's face. "Love. How can he love me after everything that I have done to him?"

Jarod tilted his head down and brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "He loves you Lily. I saw it in his eyes when he handed you over to me. I can't say I like it Lily. But I won't deny that it's there."

Jarod's words were tearing Lily's heart out. She had done so much in her life to hurt Bobby, yet in the end Jarod was telling her he loved her. It was almost unconceivable that he didn't just outright despise her. But the look on Jarod's face told her everything. Jarod hated Bobby. "We hardly know each other Jarod. We were two children thrown into a situation where we clung to each other to keep our sanity."

"But do you love him?" Jarod asked stoically waiting for her answer.

Lily pushed her hands over her face and over her hair. "I can't answer that Jarod. There are too many factors to take into consideration. Too many…"

Jarod cut her off. "But do you love him?"

Pain filled her heart. She knew what she should answer, what was deep inside her. But she didn't want to hurt Jarod. All these emotions were swirling inside her making her feel like she was on a topsy-turvy roller coaster ride. "Don't ask questions that I can't answer Jarod." She suddenly was feeling very drained and tired. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Becky came next to Lily. "It's OK. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Are you hungry? Should I have someone bring you something?"

Jarod had noticed that Lily had gone into deep thought. It concerned him. "I'm sorry Lily. I won't push anymore."

Lily shook her head as she realized Jarod was speaking to her. "I have to get out of here. I need to get to his room." Lily started pushing the covers aside so that she could get out of the bed.

Trying to stop her, Jarod was pulling the covers up. "You're not going anywhere little sister. You need to rest."

Shaking her head no, Lily tried once again to remove herself from the bed. "I have to get to Mark's room. There may be a clue as to what he is up to and where he went. I'm not getting a good feeling about this."

Becky gave a nervous chuckle. "We definitely don't need him going postal on us. Or worse, trying to kidnap Lily."

Lily was shaking her head no again. "He wouldn't kidnap me. He's too anal retentive to try kidnapping. He's planning on something that is going to put things permanently where he wants them. He's a perfectionist." Lily gave Jarod big chestnut brown puppy eyes and a pouty lip. "Please Jarod."

"You feel this strongly about him. That he is going to do something desperate?" Jarod asked. Lily nodded her head yes. Jarod went to the door and opened it. "Can you please get me a wheelchair?"

"Yes Sir." The guard responded and spoke into his walkie-talkie to the nursing staff. "It will be here momentarily. Will you be taking Miss Lily from her room?"

"Yes. We will be doing a little investigating." Jarod hoped the man would not give him problems.

"I am to accompany Miss Lily wherever she goes. Dr. Stedman's orders." The man stated trying not to get into a confrontation with the 6'3" Pretender.

"That's fine." Jarod responded as the wheelchair came pulling up to the door. "Thank you. I can take it from here." Jarod took the wheelchair from the nurse and wheeled it into the room. He lifted Lily from the bed, who had already thrown her legs over the side of the bed and was waiting for him. "You should have a robe on."

Becky ran to the closet and pulled the robe out that was hanging there when she had been hiding. "Here. You can put this on." Becky helped Lily in the garment and then Jarod lifted her carefully and placed her in the wheelchair.

"I'm not made of porcelain Jarod." Lily laughed at how delicately Jarod had lifted her and placed her in the chair.

"You are to me." He said as he started to push her out of the room with Lily giving a little snort.

"I've never once been compared to a china doll." Lily volleyed feeling uncomfortable being wheeled around like a baby. "A bull in a china shop maybe, but never a fragile…"

"Lily." Jarod broke in.

Becky had to keep from laughing out loud. Lily looked up over her shoulder at Jarod. "That was bad. Didn't you learn anything about humor after you got out of the Centre?"

"I've watched many hours of the Three Stooges." Jarod stated as he came to a stop in front of the elevators and pushed the button.

Lily looked at him. "Do you even know where you are going? I haven't even told you where Mark's room is." Lily frowned, afraid that he was only placating her and wasn't really going to take her to the psychiatrist's room.

"Yes. He is down the hall from your room, tenth door on the right." Jarod responded pushing Lily into the elevator, waiting for Becky and the guard to enter, and then pushing the button for the living quarters.

Curiosity killed her. "How did you know that?" Lily asked.

As the doors opened, Jarod pushed Lily out. Becky and the guard followed. "I memorized the schematics to Angel's Hope."

Lily looked back at Jarod. "Where did you get the schematics to Angel's Hope? Joan is going to die."

"Things have changed a little since you've been gone little sister. I have full access to all of Angel's Hope's systems, as does Parker." Jarod rubbed his chin on the top of Lily's head. "We're part of your team now."

Lily smiled. Jarod had said _her_ team. Not Parker's or his own. He was acknowledging her authority. "Thank you Jarod."

Jarod pulled up to Mark's door. "Here we go." He went around Lily's chair and opened the door. He pulled Lily as the guard held the door. As everyone came into the room a collective gasp was heard. The room had been turned upside down.

"What happened?" Lily asked as she surveyed the damage.

"I'm what happened." Came a voice from the shadows in the corner.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Angelo placed his blankets in a pile under the electrical box on SL 22 crawlway. The Sweepers had long ago abandoned hope that he was on this level. He had been playing cat and mouse with them for weeks now. Raines seemed to be occupied with other things, so Angelo had decided it was time to stop and get ready.

Things would be happening soon. He had seen it. Felt it. The storm was beginning to form. And when the lightening came, she was going to blow the Centre wide open. He knew what his job would be. Knew he had to be ready.

Periodically he had checked on Debbie and Bobby. They were holding their own. Raines was split between trying to break Bobby and trying to figure out what Jarod's next move would be. This had gratefully left Debbie on the back burner. Besides being bored from her captivity, performing tests she considered idiotic, and fuming because she knew that she would miss her performance at school, she had been left unharmed.

Angelo plopped himself onto the blankets and dropped the paper bag he had been carrying next to him. The bag tipped over and boxes of Cracker Jack as well as electrical wiring and parts fell out. Angelo carefully pulled the wiring out of the bag all the way and twirled it in his fingers. With a sly grin, he looked up at the electrical box and just smiled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Everyone looked over at the darkened entrance to Mark's bathroom and saw the outline of Parker standing there. "What are you doing here?" Lily asked obviously upset.

Parker walked out of the shadows and took her place next to Jarod. "The same thing you and your little band of merry men are doing. Trying to find out what the hell the good doctor is up to."

"I am not a merry man." Jarod responded giving Parker a look of annoyance.

"Well he's not stupid enough to leave it out in plain sight." Lily coolly told Parker. "But he may be naïve enough to think that I won't know where he hides things." Lily got up and walked over to a picture that was hanging on the far left wall. "This is where he hides all his notes and stuff." Lily flung the picture open revealing the safe. "Hopefully he didn't have enough time to change the code." Lily went back to Marks desk and surveyed the articles on it. She smiled as she grabbed a tape dispenser and pulled off a piece of tape.

"I found the safe before, but it was locked. What are you doing?" Parker huffed.

Lily turned to the coffee mug sitting on Mark's desk. "Jarod. Go into the bathroom and get some body powder."

Jarod had already started for the room realizing what Lily was up to. "I'm on it."

"The lock is code and print operated?" Parker mused. "Clever. I assume you know the code."

Smiling, Lily moved the cup closer with a pencil tip. "I've watched him open it a few times. I already calculated what the combination was."

Holding a container of talcum powder, Jarod emerged from the bathroom. "This will have to do."

Lily tipped the cup handle up. "Sprinkle it here and here Jarod."

Everyone watched as the powder formed various prints. Lily leaned down and pt the tape over the most perfect of the prints. She pulled the tape up and proceeded to the safe. She punched in the code and placed the tape over the scanner. "Let's hope this works." A few seconds later the locking mechanism clicked. "Bingo." Lily opened the door.

Jarod leaned in and grabbed all the contents of the safe. He brought files, papers, and a small leather case over to the desk and spread them out.

Parker grabbed one of the folders and began to read. Jarod grabbed another. Lily grabbed the leather case. Becky grabbed her arms and rubbed them up and down. She started to shiver.

"I'm not getting a good feeling about this Lily. The room is starting to chill." Becky nervously watched as everyone examined their item.

"That son of a bitch." Parker bit out.

Jarod looked up from his folder and Lily noticed that he was noticeably whiter than before. "What's wrong with the two of you?" Lily asked.

Parker looked up and noticed Jarod's current state. "I don't know about Jarod, but from this file we are screwed. He's selling us out to Raines. He plans on giving Raines Angel's Hope in exchange for Lily." Parker glared at Lily. "What kind of idiot actually writes down information like this? Anyone could find these notes."

Lily's anger was quickly rising. "I told you he was anal retentive. And I guess egotistical as well. Why didn't I see this coming?"

Becky came up next to Lily. "You had other things on your mind and he's been so sullen ever since he found out about you and Bobby." She put an arm around Lily.

Shaking her head, Lily broke away from Becky. "I should have anticipated this. I knew how possessive he was." Lily looked up and could still see the look of dread in Jarod's eyes. "Jarod, what is wrong?"

Jarod looked at Parker as she threw her file on the desk. "Parker. I need to tell you something. You need to sit down."

Parker folded her arms across her chest and took that classic stance that Jarod knew well. "Just spit it out Jarod. What horrible revelation does that folder contain? What dark secrets about our past does Angel's Hope hold? What else could go wrong?"

Jarod handed the folder to Parker. "I love you." Jarod said softly, still retaining possession of the folder as Parker grabbed it. "It contains blood tests. Your blood tests, Mark's blood tests…" Jarod looked deeply into Parker's eyes. "Mark is Raines' son."

Shock showed on everyone's face including the Security guard.

"How could Raines be Mark's father? The way he treated him…sent him away…" Lily tried to fathom how anyone could be a person's father and treat them they way they had been treated.

"Didn't kill him." Jarod finished Lily's sentence. Jarod looked at Parker who was now white herself. "Parker. You OK?"

Lily looked at both of them as realization set in. "You mean…"

Parker huffed. "I have another psychotic brother. Great!" Parker threw her hands up in the air and started pacing back and forth. "Did the man think he was going to populate the whole world? How many other long lost siblings do I have? Did he like playing God?" All of a sudden Parker felt a sharp pain in her side. She grabbed her stomach and leaned over.

Jarod grabbed her shoulders. "Parker. Calm down. Where is the pain?" Jarod looked at Lily with fear in his eyes.

Lily turned to Fred. "Call Dr. Stedman. Get the medical team on their way down here now! We'll meet them in route." Lily joined Jarod at Parker's other side. "Bring that chair over here Becky."

Becky grabbed the wheelchair and spun it around so that Parker could sit in it. Jarod grabbed the handles and started running for the elevator. Lily turned to Becky. "Grab those notes. Bring them with you and meet us at the medical wing." With that Lily sprinted through the door to follow Jarod with Fred right behind her barking orders into his cell phone.

Parker was panting through the pain. "I can't lose it…I can't lose it…" She mumbled barely audible.

Tears filled Jarod's eyes. "Take deep breaths. Calm and center yourself. It's probably just stress." Jarod had never thought much about praying before, but he sent up a million cries for help.

Lily caught up with them as they waited for the elevator. "Has the pain lessened?" She asked in between breaths.

"No." Jarod responded leaning up and looking at Lily. "Oh great. Did you run all the way here? You're not supposed to be running. What is it with the two of you? You're going to be the death of me." Jarod checked on Parker. "Any better?"

Parker nodded her head. "A little."

"Good." Lily added as she came next to the chair. "I'm sorry I got you so upset."

"Don't worry about it." Parker winced. "Nobody can kill a Parker." She took a deep breath. "Lily. You've got to get Stedman to advance the plan. If Mark is on his way to Raines, we've got to get out of here."

Lily stood up and backed away from the chair. "Leave Angel's Hope?" Her face drained of color.

Jarod looked at her. "Oh no. Not you too now." Jarod went to go to his sister when the door of the elevator opened. He looked at the doorway and then back to his sister.

Lily saw his indecision. She pointed to the elevator. "Go Jarod. I'll be there in a minute."

Jarod gave her one more concerned look and then pushed Parker onto the elevator. "Fred, watch her." He ordered as the doors closed on him.

"Miss Lily. Are you all right? Do I need to get the medical team?" Fred asked as Becky came up next to them.

Lily shook her head. "No Fred. I need you to assemble my team in conference room 2."

Becky looked at Lily in shock. "You're not in any shape…Joan is going to have a fit…what are you thinking Lily?"

Lily looked straight into Becky's eyes. "Mutiny my dear friend. Mutiny."

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Time is running out for our Players.

The Fates have dealt the final hand.

Will lady luck look favorably on them all?

Or deal them a losing hand?


	85. Opposing Councils

Time is running out for our Players.

The Fates have dealt the final hand.

Will lady luck look favorably on them all?

Or deal them a losing hand?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lily stood up and backed away from the chair. "Leave Angel's Hope?" Her face drained of color.

Jarod looked at her. "Oh no. Not you too now." Jarod went to go to his sister when the door of the elevator opened. He looked at the doorway and then back to his sister.

Lily saw his indecision. She pointed to the elevator. "Go Jarod. I'll be there in a minute."

Jarod gave her one more concerned look and then pushed Parker onto the elevator. "Fred, watch her." He ordered as the doors closed on him.

"Miss Lily. Are you all right? Do I need to get the medical team?" Fred asked as Becky came up next to them.

Lily shook her head. "No Fred. I need you to assemble my team in conference room 2."

Becky looked at Lily in shock. "You're not in any shape…Joan is going to have a fit…what are you thinking Lily?"

Lily looked straight into Becky's eyes. "Mutiny my dear friend. Mutiny."

"Mutiny?" Both Becky and Fred asked at the same time.

Lily shook her head. "Don't you two look at me that way. I haven't gone off my rocker. You heard Parker. She wants to abandon Angel's Hope. I'll be damned if I hand over this facility to that madman at Blue Cove."

"But Lily…" Becky started eyeing Fred.

Lily turned to Fred face to face. "Fred. You have been on my Security team for a long while now haven't you." Lily made it a statement rather than a question. Fred nodded his head in agreement. "We have built a life here, would you agree? Have done some good?"

"You've done more than some good Miss Lily. You know that. But to disobey Dr. Stedman…" The guard was obviously divided.

Lily took the man's hands in her own, capturing his hands in between hers. "I'm not asking you to disobey Joan. All I'm asking is some time to figure out what the best course of action is before you tell her anything. You can be there the whole time and if I do anything that seems irrational, then please call Dr. Stedman. But we've all come too far just to throw it all away. As this facilities military leadership, I can't just throw it all away."

Fred could feel the sincerity in Lily's voice. Dr. Stedman was going to have his hide for this. "OK. Let's start with this little impromptu meeting and go from there." He responded bringing his one hand out from underneath Lily's and patting hers affectionately. "I'm going to get thrown in the stockade for this."

Lily smiled with a devilish glint in her eyes. "Then I'll be in the cell right next to you. Thank you."

Becky gave a little sigh. "I guess that means I'll be in the cell next to the two of you." Becky looked Lily over once more. "Are you sure you're up to this. You did just come out of a coma. No one is expecting you to save the world."

Lily looked over at Becky. "I do."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jarod rushed through the opening elevator doors, the medical team waiting for them on the other side. "She's having sharp pains in her abdomen, but I don't think they are contractions. They are not coming in regular intervals, but she is wincing so I know that they are intense. She's…"

"Jarod!" Parker hissed out. "I'm right here. I think the doctors will be able to determine quite well for themselves what the problem is." She grabbed her side and gritted her teeth to fight the pain.

"And she's irritable." Jarod finished as they came to the examination room.

"Let me take her Sir." One of the orderlies nudged Jarod so that he could take reign of the chair. The doors automatically opened and the orderly pushed a swearing Parker through. Dr. Berez followed them with her medical team. The door began to close as Jarod tried to follow. A hand from behind stopped him.

Jarod turned to see Dr. Stedman holding his arm. "Stay here Jarod. Let them do their evaluation."

"I want to be with her." Jarod turned to look back at the door and then back at Stedman. "She needs me. I have to be there for her."

Joan put on her best smile. "Let the doctors do their evaluation first and then whatever the outcome you can be with her." Sorrow clouded the doctor's eyes.

"You think she's going to lose the baby don't you." Jarod stated as his face became like a stoic.

Wrapping an arm around Jarod's shoulders, Joan led him to the waiting area chairs. "I hope not Jarod. For both of you. But she has been pushing herself way too hard. The doctor told her to take it easy. That stress was not good for her or the baby. What was she doing when the pain started?"

Jarod sat down and wrung his hands. "She was trashing Mark's room looking for information."

Joan sat next to him. "Trashed? Like the room torn apart?" Jarod nodded his head in agreement. "She should have had a security team do that."

"She has trust issues." Jarod said into the hands he had brought up to his face in a prayer stance. "Parker's not use to letting other people handle things for her." A tear escaped down his cheek. "Mark's betrayal was the last straw. We found evidence that he had run blood tests on himself and Parker." Jarod looked up at Stedman. "Mark is Raines' son."

Joan made an audible gasp. "Raines' son? How's that possible? He never treated him like Annie."

Jarod got up and started pacing. "How does anything ever happen at the Centre. Manipulation…lies.." Jarod looked straight into Stedman's eyes. "NuGenesis."

"The fertility clinic. He used another woman to carry his child like he did Catherine. The egoistical son of a bi…." Stedman stopped herself from cursing out loud. "Why should I have expected anything less? The man has no heart or soul."

"Parker wants us to evacuate Angel's Hope." Jarod said in a very stoic voice. "Lily is against it."

Stedman took a deep breath. "And you're caught in the middle. Is that what happened to cause this? Did Lily hurt Melissa?" Joan started feeling a lump in her stomach making her nauseous. Was Lily so far gone that she would hurt her brother's child?

"Not the way you're thinking Joan. Yes, they argued about it, but Lily never physically touched her." Jarod could see the concern in Stedman's face. "She's not that far-gone Joan. Lily wouldn't hurt Parker."

"Thank God. I hate having to think that Lily might hurt someone, but without the chip she's a loaded canon." Stedman started her own pacing. She turned around to face Jarod. "Which do you think is right? Parker or Lily?"

Jarod ran his hand through his hair. "My head says that I have to side with Parker. With Mark turning rogue, we don't have a choice but to run. But my heart says that Lily won't leave without a fight. Whether she is fighting the Centre or us. And maybe if I had a place that I had worked my whole life at trying to do good for other people, I wouldn't want to give it up without a fight either. The problem being that Lily is in no shape to fight that battle."

Joan brought her hands together in a prayer stance. "I don't know what to do Jarod. Which one do I listen to? I've always relied on Lily to help make the final choices. But Parker also has equally decisive points."

Before Jarod could answer her, the door opened to the examine room. Dr. Berez came walking out. Jarod and Joan both went towards the woman.

"How's Parker?" Jarod asked before Berez could say anything.

"She's going to be fine Jarod." Berez reported.

Jarod and Joan both let out a sigh of relief. "What happened?" Joan asked wanting exact details of what the problem was.

"Stress. We've been over this before. She is a very high strung woman and she internalizes a lot of things. We'll have to watch her blood pressure. There could be a possibility of preclamptia. The problem being is keeping her stress free."

"It won't be a problem." Jarod interjected. He turned to Stedman. "Parker wants to evacuate Angel's Hope, then we're evacuating. That's the only way she is going to relax. Right now she thinks that Raines and company are going to attack. She won't relax till that threat to the baby is neutralized." Jarod turned back to Berez. "How soon can she be moved?"

Berez thought for a moment. "Definitely not for two days. I have her on medication to halt the contractions. Even when that is done, I don't want her running around Jarod. She can't be exerting herself."

"Again, no problem. I'll be coordinating the exodus." Jarod looked at the doctor with apprehension. "Can I see her now?"

Berez shook her head yes. "Not too long Jarod. She needs her rest." Jarod shook his head in agreement and then went quickly through the door.

Joan looked after him. "He sure does have a problem and her name is Lily."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lily took her place at the head of the table. She laid down a stack of folders in front of her. The team she hand picked filled the room and started to sit around the table. Ronnie sat to her left and Becky to Lily's right.

"What's up?" Ronnie asked knowing that Lily did not call a private meeting unless there was trouble. And this team hadn't been together since the Centre captured Lily.

Lily looked at everyone at the table. "First I want to commend everyone for their successful participation in the operation in California. I know that my actions may be a little confusing, but know that my first priority has always been the continued protection of this facility and it's inhabitants. We are family. We stand together, protect each other."

Everyone shook their heads in agreement and mumbled words of friendship and commradery.

"With that said, I am informing you of a threat to this facility. I know most of you have probably already heard that Mark has gone AWOL. For whatever his reason, he has decided to sell us out to the Centre. I'm not sure what his exact plan is, but I know he will give this facility to them to get to me." Lily looked at her team. Their faces looking to her for leadership and guidance. She cleared her throat. "I feel that besides Mark, we have an equally dangerous situation brewing."

Becky sat back in her seat knowing what was coming. The others looked at each other in puzzlement.

"Parker and Jarod have decided in my absence that Angel's Hope is to be abandoned. I know that while I have been incapacitated, that teams have gone out to search for relocation sites. The first problem with this is that Mark had access to the information so he knows where these locations are situated. The second being that we cannot build a facility of this magnitude in the secracy that Catherine Parker had when Angel's Hope was built. It will be near impossible to keep off the Centre radar."

"What do you propose Lily?" Ronnie asked while everyone discussed the pros and cons of moving.

"I propose that we fight for what we have." Lily's determined look said everything. "If the Centre is the only entity who knows we exist, then we eliminate them. Ronnie, has the governmental processes gone through that Jarod set in motion?"

"Yes. They are waiting for your say so to begin operation. We've been delaying Agent Nelson because we didn't want to inform him of your…little vacation." Ronnie diplomatically explained. "He thinks your still uncover. But he said his forces can be mobilized in a moment's notice. He's very anxious to investigate the Centre now that you have supplied them with certain information."

"Good." Lily looked at the various faces staring at her. How many times had they faced danger and triumphed because they blindly followed whatever she said. And would they still follow her now. Lily cleared her throat. "I know that you have all been working with Parker closely for the last couple of months. If any of you feel that you don't want to do this, then I understand. I would like to know now if any of you object to the plan at hand." Lily looked around and waited for the objections to begin. To her surprise not a single person spoke. "Please feel free to speak. I will understand completely…"

Ronnie stood and placed her hand on Lily's shoulder. "Before you came in Lily, we all had a little discussion. The writing was on the wall the minute Mark jumped ship – the traitor." Ronnie's loathing was quite evident. "We have always followed you. You have never steered us wrong. Whatever you deem as best, we will follow. This is our home...our sanctuary and we'll be damned if anyone is going to take it from us."

A cheer of _yeah_ went around the table.

Lily's eyes teared up, but she quickly blinked them away. "It's not going to be easy, but we move in two days. I have a plan of attack already in mind. I've had it ever since I found out about the Centre. Our biggest obsticals are Parker and Jarod. They will try to persuade Dr. Stedman that evacuation is the best route. I'll work on her. Get the teams readied quietly. Tell them to humor any requests that Parker and Jarod may ask, but they are to adhere to our plan only." Lily pushed the folders down the table. Each folder had a team member name. "These are your assignments. Assemble your teams and equipment. Wait for my signal to coordinate the plan. Dismissed."

As everyone began to leave, Lily grabbed Ronnie's arm. "Can you wait a moment?" As the room cleared, minus Becky, Lily motioned for Ronnie to sit back down.

"I noticed that I didn't receive a folder." Ronnie said very up front.

Lily smiled. "Straightforward - the Ronnie I know and love." Lily's face went stoic. "I have a special mission for you. I want you to stay here when the teams are deployed."

"No!" Ronnie replied with anger in her voice. "My place has always been by your side."

"I know. But if I fail, I'll need you here to protect my family. To get them to safety. Parker is carrying my niece or nephew. My biological parents and siblings are here. Joan and Becky... I need to know that someone I trust will be looking out for, will be able to physically protect them." Lily stood up and started pacing. She stopped abruptly. "Ronnie, please. You're the best one here besides me in combat."

"No." Becky interjected.

Both Lily and Ronnie looked at the woman who had been quiet up to now. "No?" Lily asked.

Becky straightened herself up. "I'm not staying here. I'm going with you."

Lily started shaking her head negatively. "No! Absolutely not. You're staying here."

Becky shot up out of her chair. "We left together, we go back together." Lily stalked away from her with Becky hot on her heels. "I'm not the same person anymore Lily. You're not the only one who regained her memory going back to that Hellhole. I'll be damned if I stand by and let everyone else go save the world. You'll need someone to find Debbie...and Bobby fir that matter while you're dealing with Raines. I'm your girl...woman."

Lily swung around. "No."

Ronnie stood up. "Yes." Lily stared past Becky at Ronnie. "If you want me to stay, she goes."

"Ronnie, Becky's not a soldier. She's a musician." Lily stalked around Becky to confront Ronnie.

"And is the only person beside myself who I trust to watch your back. Besides your brother. So it's either Jarod or Becky. You choose."

A few minutes later the women left the room. Lily growling, Becky smiling, and Ronnie determined to protect her friend's family.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jarod approached the bed apprehensively. He was unsure what to say to Parker, how to comfort her. He wanted this child so badly he could taste it. A family of his own. A child he could throw up in the air, play ball with, teach to ride a bicycle.

Jarod skirted around a curtain to find Parker laying there with her eyes closed. He quietly pulled up and chair and sat next to the bed. He rubbed his temples, trying to massage the tension headache away.

"Don't have a cow Pez Boy. We're doing fine." Parker stated with her eyes still closed.

Jarod took Parker's hand. "How are you feeling? Any more contractions?"

"No. They gave me some meds...to relax me. Yeah right. Raines and his armada are about to descend on us and we're just sitting ducks." Parker exhaled roughly.

Jarod placed his finger gently on her lips. "Ssshh. Don't think about that right now. I'll take care of everything."

Parker opened her eyes. "You always do."

Jarod smiled. "You just lay there and take care of Junior." Jarod lovingly rubbed Parker's stomach.

"Junior?" Parker asked. "You've got to be joking right?"

"If Junior is inappropriate, what would you like me to call the baby?" Jarod asked with that look that Parker knew well. His childlike innocence face.

"How about Baby Pez?" Parker joked.

"All right. Baby Pez it is." Jarod looked up at Parker with love in his eyes.

Parker went to say she was kidding, but she was too tired to explain it. "I just want to sleep Jarod."

Jarod fluffed Parker's pillow and laid his head on the bed next to her. "I'll just stay here for a while. Till they move you to your room."

Parker closed her eyes again. "Forget the room. I'm heading for the training room. I have teams to get ready."

Jarod opened his eyes and just stared off. How was he going to keep Parker calm and evacuate everyone at the same time. He started running simulations in his head.

Meanwhile, Ronnie took point outside the medical wing...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Opposing Players...

Grabbing for the prize.

Trying to reap the reward.

And the freedom of the prize.


	86. Destiny Rising

Opposing Players...

Grabbing for the prize.

Trying to reap the reward.

And the freedom of the prize.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jarod smiled. "You just lay there and take care of Junior." Jarod lovingly rubbed Parker's stomach.

"Junior?" Parker asked. "You've got to be joking right?"

"If Junior is inappropriate, what would you like me to call the baby?" Jarod asked with that look that Parker knew well. His childlike innocence face.

"How about Baby Pez?" Parker joked.

"All right. Baby Pez it is." Jarod looked up at Parker with love in his eyes.

Parker went to say she was kidding, but she was too tired to explain it. "I just want to sleep Jarod."

Jarod fluffed Parker's pillow and laid his head on the bed next to her. "I'll just stay here for a while. Till they move you to your room."

Parker closed her eyes again. "Forget the room. I'm heading for the training room. I have teams to get ready."

Jarod opened his eyes and just stared at Parker. How was he going to keep Parker calm and evacuate everyone at the same time? He started running simulations in his head.

Meanwhile, Ronnie took point outside the medical wing...

Joan finished conversing with Dr. Berez when she noticed Veronica standing at the end of the hall. The only reason she would be posted there would be... "Where are you Lily?" Stedman flipped open her phone and called Security.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lily walked out of the conference room and headed for the medical wing. She had wanted to check on Parker one last time before everything started happening. She hoped that this emergency would distract Jarod enough for them to get their plan off the ground. If he found out, he would squash any attempts to defend Angel's Hope…or rescuing Bobby.

She had her full memory now. Lily grimaced as she remembered following Raines' orders. There was a dark spot in her. A spot she could still feel. The little girl who had been taught to hate, to kill. To decide who lived or died. The exact opposite of Jarod's light.

And then her salvation – Bobby. How good he had felt in her arms. How sweet the taste was of his lips pressed against hers. Finally ending in their tongues playing an erotic tango. It made her blood boil.

Lily looked down at her taunt stomach. Soon there would be a tiny bulge there. Life created from the essence of a man who could spin her head around with a single touch. But also created in deceit and maliciousness by a man who wanted nothing more than to control her and her child. A single tear rolled down Lily's cheek. She didn't know what to do. She felt violated and unclean. Yet she couldn't blame the child for its conception. Would she ever be able to love it? Or would it be a constant reminder of the horror of the Centre.

Lily wondered if Bobby even thought about the child….

Bobby walked around his prison for the hundred millionth time. He hated being locked up in small places. Though bigger than the shed, this room represented the same thing. Control over him. Punishment for disobedience. Vengeance.

Every step he took fueled a fire in him that reminded him of why Lyle had been born. The years of calculation and meticulous planning that had led to the death of his best friend and the incarceration of his adoptive father. Bobby felt a twang of pain in his chest. Jimmy Radloff. He shouldn't have died. More correctly, Bobby shouldn't have killed him. But the fury that had fed him back then had consumed himself as well as in the end his friend.

How could he have mistaken indifference with friendship? All Bobby could see back then was that his best friend idly let his father lock him in a shed and never came to rescue him. He had told Jimmy in confidence about his abuse and the shed. When Raines showed up, he had told Bobby that the boy didn't care about him. Was using him to be popular and gain the girl's attentions – attentions that Bobby received naturally.

Now it just made him sick to think that he had allowed Raines to poison him against his friend. The boy probably didn't know how to help him. Abuse wasn't something discussed in polite circles back then. Or even now. All the things he had done since then, all the people he had hurt. Motivated by greed and anger. His sins ate at him now. Thanks to…Lily.

"Oh how I miss you." Bobby whispered to himself. He leaned himself up against the door. A smile spread over his face as he remembered the times they had spent on this level dodging the Sweepers, escaping from their rooms. Just so they could find time to be together. Until a couple of months ago he never realized how much those stolen moments had meant to him. And how much Lily's absence had affected him. Raines had full control then. His angel wasn't there to be the counter balance to Raines' violence. Without her he had been lost.

And now all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms. Cradle her like he had when Jarod and he had rescued her. How he wished she had been conscious enough to know that he would travel through heaven and hell for her. How he wished he could have pulled her into his arms, kiss her and find time alone so that he could show her the full extent of his love.

Anger tore through him again and he pushed himself off the door. Raines' interference had gone too far this time. Before he had even had a chance to show Lily his love, she was now carrying his child. A Parker child. A child who would be hunted and sought after as if it were made of precious metals or stones. It was precious, but not because it was made of gold or diamonds. It was part Lily. And that made it priceless. As long as he drew breath, the Centre or his twisted family would never touch their child. He swore to the heavens and any God that would listen to him. He would die in order to keep the child and it's mother safe.

A wicked grin spread across his face. He was born and bred to be a Pretender, it was time for him to get back to his roots. Raines was not going to keep him as bait for Lily. Nor was he going to break his promise to Jarod to retrieve Miss Broots. He had told Lily he was Bobby now, but as Bobby looked up at the cameras taping his every move he decided it was time for a little Lyle to come into play.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raines picked up the phone on the second ring. "Hello." Raines answered in his cryptic, grave voice. His assistant had told him that Mark was on the line

"Dr. Raines. I need your undivided attention." Mark said as he sat in his hotel room covered in sweat.

"I'm listening." Raines replied.

"I have a proposition for you." Mark wiped his brow with his handkerchief.

"I don't bargain with anyone Mark. You should know that especially." Raines grinned as he thought how easily the Sweepers were tracing the call.

"Listen old man!" Mark said excitedly. "I know who I am and why I wasn't treated like the rest. I'm your son dammit. You have to listen to me!"

Raines' face went emotionless. "I have many children Mark, you are but one of them. I would be careful if you think that paternal ties are going to get you anywhere. Cooperate with me and survive. Cross me and end up like your half brother. I should assume that you know of Lyle's existence as it pertains to you?"

"Yes." Mark bit out. "I know that Lyle and I are half brothers. And that Parker is my half sister. That's why I know that you are going to want to cooperate with me. I know where Parker and your precious Jarod are." Mark took a deep breath. "I can hand them and Angel's Hope over to you. I know you want it. And all the secrets that are tied to it. I just want one thing."

The Sweeper came in through the door and nodded his head. Raines acknowledged and went back to the conversation. "You can't have her Mark. Lily belongs to me." The Sweeper left the room and headed for Mark's destination.

"She's mine! I have been with her through her whole life. Why can't you keep everything else and give me her?" Mark was frantic now. He never thought Raines would outright refuse him.

"She's the key my son. Her and Jarod. Now if you worked with me, you and she would be here together. Cooperation is everything." Raines wheezed as he tried to stall for time.

"Cooperation? She's not going to cooperate with you. I can bend her mind to accept me and possibly that Angel's Hope fell, but I won't be able to get her to come back there. Psychologically she would fight me tooth and nail." Mark ran his hand through his hair. What was he going to do?

"I gave you the best training that money can buy Mark. You're probably even more talented than Sydney is because you are a Pretender. I'm sure that with a little persuasion and the re-insertion of the chip, we can make Lily very comfortable here…"

Mark cut him off. "Chip? You can't do that. You nearly killed her the first time. There is too much damage to try that again. I won't let you. I'm going to take her far away where you can't find her." Mark slammed the phone down. He backed away from the phone looking around the room. He had to get back to Angel's Hope. Back to get Lily. Convince her to come with him.

Mark grabbed his bag as he headed for the door. Suddenly the door swung open and hit him in the face. Mark was sent flying backwards and came to a stop with a thud on the floor. Within seconds Sweepers were surrounding him. Two grabbed him by the arms as blood flowed freely from his nose. "Let go of me!" Mark screamed as he struggled to get away. But the two Sweepers had arms of steel and were not about to let their prize get away.

Willie and Sam came walking up to the wreck of a man. "Mr. Raines wants to see you." Willie said with a smirk on his face.

Mark struggled some more, but in the end was carried out to the waiting sedan that sped him off to his rendezvous with Raines.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lily approached the medical wing and saw Ronnie on guard. "Good." She said to herself. Lily approached Ronnie and stopped. "Anything to report?"

Ronnie turned her back to Dr. Stedman, who had also been joined by Margaret, Charles, Emily, and Ethan. "I believe my presence has been detected and reported."

Lily looked past Ronnie to Stedman. "So now it begins. She won't know right off the top what is going on. That will give me time to do what I need to do and for the teams to start their assembly. Joel is organizing the air transports. Do you have the ground crew on standby?"

"Yes. They" Ronnie motioned toward Stedman and the rest, "will never know that the rest of the teams are mobilized and gone." Ronnie reported back with a smile. "I love a good game of cat and mouse."

A frown came across Lily's face and her voice became stern. "This is not a game Ronnie. The Centre is not like anything we have come up against before. They are strong and have the manpower to equal ours. Not to mention they have a madman at their helm."

"I'm sorry Lily. I didn't mean to make light of the situation." Ronnie stepped back and took her military stance. "It will not happen again."

Lily put a hand on her second's shoulder. "It's all right Ronnie. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't snap. You have never been anything but professional and an expert at your job. I'm just a little on edge."

"Understood." Ronnie replied. "Do you think _she_ will approve all this?"

"I'm not sure." Lily said tilting her head to get a better view of Joan. "I think they think I'm crazy."

"Like a fox." Ronnie retorted with a sneer. "The Centre doesn't know what they are fully up against, do they?"

"No, they don't Ronnie. They've never come across a family of thousands. They like to attack smaller units. Tear them apart. Steal their children." Lily looked off and her face became stone. "They will touch no more children. That I swear."

Ronnie noticed the change in her friend. It was her turn to put her hand on Lily's shoulder. "On our honor. We'll make this right Lily. Raines and his flunkies are coming down."

Lily patted Ronnie hand. "We decide who lives or dies."

Ronnie straightened into her military stance again. "You decide who lives or dies. And we'll make it happen."

Lily chuckled. "You do have the keenest sense of irony don't you?"

"It's why you love me. Better get over there before Dr. Stedman has all kinds of conspiracies thought up." Ronnie looked behind her and saw Stedman staring at them even though she was speaking to Margaret. "See?" Ronnie nodded her head.

"I see. Better make an appearance." Lily casually strolled around Ronnie toward Joan and her family. She saw the concern on Margaret and Charles' faces as she approached. "Have things gotten worse?" Lily asked as she came to a stop between Joan and Margaret.

Joan looked Lily up and down. "No. Melissa has been stabilized and is being moved to a room next to Margaret."

As Joan said the words, the doors to the Emergency room opened and Parker was wheeled out with Jarod trotting beside her. The group started to follow the gurney down the hall. As Lily was about to follow, Joan grabbed her arm and stopped her. "What are you up to?"

Lily put on her most innocent face. "Up to? Nothing, of course."

Joan shook her head back and forth. "You are up to something. I'll find out Lily. You might as well tell me now."

"I think we need to worry about Parker right now. I think all the stress is affecting her. Good thing I don't fall prey to the same stresses. Makes me who I am."

"Who you are...I thought you were on the almighty quest to find out who you are. Figured it out already? I know you Lily. You're up to something. And if you don't want to tell me, then I know it's something I'm not going to like. What are you doing Lily?" Joan's eyes burned into Lily.

Lily lifted her chin. "What I was born to do." With that said, she turned and strutted down the hall after Parker and Jarod. Joan threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

Walking in silence, Lily quietly approached the room she heard her family in. She peeked around the doorway to see all of them fluttering around Parker and Jarod. A pain shot through her chest. She had to keep them safe. Keep everyone safe. It was her job. It was her birthright.

Lily snuck past the doorway and went into Broots room.

Broots looked up with a start. "Lily." Broots cleared his throat. "Can I help you?" Thomas came out of the restroom.

Lily looked between Broots and Thomas. "I need your help. I want to play something over the PA system at the Centre. I hear that you both know how to do that."

Thomas looked at Lily curiously. "Why do you want to send something to the Centre?" He had heard his parents talking about Lily and her stability.

"I need to send Dr. Raines a message. A very special message." And Bobby as well, Lily thought. Lily produced a disc with a song from before which she had Becky tweak a little. She handed it out to Broots. "Can you get me in?"

Thomas came around Broots. He grabbed the disc before Broots could. "I'll get you in." Lily looked curiously at Thomas this time. "The least I could do for the person who is technically my twin."

Lily stepped back for a moment. She hadn't thought about that aspect of Thomas. Being Jarod's clone made him her twin as well. "Thank you Thomas. Can you do it now?"

Thomas went and rolled the computer over by Broots' bed. He worked his magic and within a half-hour they were into Centre PA system. Thomas inserted the disc. He looked up at Lily. Lily shook her head in agreement and Thomas keyed the disc to play.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Sweepers dragged Mark down to SL27. Bobby had run to the window in his door to see what the commotion was about. Raines had left the window portion of the door open so that he could be tortured seeing what was going on around him and knowing he could do nothing to stop it.

Bobby watched as Mark was dragged past his door to the next. "This can't be good." Bobby whispered to himself. Just then, music started pouring through the PA system.

_You're wondering who I am - Machine or mannequin  
With parts made in Japan, I am the modern woman.  
_

The Sweepers stopped dead in their tracks. Mark looked around, dazed...Lily...he heard Lily...

_  
I've got a secret, I've been hiding  
Under my skin.   
My heart is human; my blood is boiling  
My brain IBM.  
So if you see me, acting strangely  
Don't be surprised._

Raines watched as his IT department ran from computer to computer trying to stop the transmission.

_  
I'm just a woman who, needed someone  
And somewhere to hide  
To keep me alive - Just keep me alive.  
Somewhere to hide to keep me alive.  
_

_I'm not a robot, without emotion  
I'm not what you see.  
I've come to help you, with your problems  
So we can be free. _

Debbie sat on her bed and wondered if somehow her father had found a way to get a message that someone would come and rescue her soon.

_I'm not a hero; I'm not a savior  
Forget what you know. _

_I'm just a woman whose, circumstances  
Went beyond her control - beyond my control.   
Beyond my control, we all need control. _

_I am the modern woman, who hides behind a mask  
So no one else can see, my true identity _

_Thank you very much, Mr. Roberto for doing the jobs that nobody wants to  
And thank you very much, Mr. Roberto for helping me escape just when I needed  
to_

_Thank you - Thank you. Thank you.  
I want to thank you, please thank you._

Bobby smiled. The song had said Roberto instead of Roboto. Roberto – Spanish for Robert…Bobby. Lily was alive and well. It was the song she had sang to him in the club when they first met. And this was a message - to him, to them...Bobby threw back his head and laughed. She was coming. He knew it down to his bones. This was her warning to Raines and a message to him...hold on, she was coming.

_  
The time has come at last.  
To throw away this mask.  
Now everyone can see.   
My true identity.  
_

Raines smashed his fist down on the desk. "What the hell was that?" No one could give him the answer. The song ended with a name being whispered over and over...Lily...Lily.

Back at Angel's Hope, Lily smiled. The gauntlet had been laid down. Thomas ended the transmission. "What was that Lily?" Thomas asked.

"Destiny Thomas, destiny."

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Polar opposites grabbing their fates.

Deciding which Players will take home plate.

Strong willed icons, defending their pride.

Who will succeed and will one be left behind?


	87. Countdown To Destiny Begins

Chapter 87: Countdown To Destiny Begins

Polar opposites grabbing their fates.

Deciding which Players will take home plate.

Strong willed icons, defending their pride.

Who will succeed and will one be left behind?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raines smashed his fist down on the desk. "What the hell was that?" No one could give him the answer. The song ended with a name being whispered over and over...Lily...Lily.

Back at Angel's Hope, Lily smiled. The gauntlet had been laid down. Thomas ended the transmission. "What was that Lily?" Thomas asked.

"Destiny Thomas, destiny."

"That's what all our lives have been about hasn't it? Destiny." Thomas looked sad for a moment as he severed the connection to the Centre.

Lily put her arm around the young man. "The only thing you need to worry about is being a normal kid. Instead of being up here playing computers with Mr. Broots, you should be with the other children playing in the rec room or the game room."

"How did you know I was up here working the computers with Mr. Broots?" Thomas asked inquisitively.

Lily leaned down to his ear. "There isn't anything that goes on in this place that I don't know about." She said with a smile. "But that's not the only thing wrong, is it?"

Thomas twitched. "I don't know how to play with other children." He said barely above a whisper. "I don't know how to play games."

A twang went through Lily's heart as if someone had plucked the string of a harp. She imagined this was such the case with Jarod too. How the world must have looked to him when he first escaped the Centre. "How about I take you down to the game room and show you my favorite game – skeeball."

A look of indecision crossed Thomas' face. "I don't know…"

Broots looked at the two standing before him. Family, yet not family. Both are searching for a way to reach and understand each other. Merge their worlds. "I think it would be a great idea Thomas. You have been stuck in this room for too long. Go have some fun."

Thomas looked from Broots to Lily. "All right. I'll go with you. But if you get any strange ideas about me actually having fun, you'd be better off giving me three computers and Internet access instead." He headed toward the door.

"Try it Thomas before you condemn it." Lily took up step behind Thomas. She turned and mouthed – thank you – to Broots. Broots acknowledged with a nod. Lily followed Thomas out the door and stopped in front of Parker's door. The room was a bustle with activity. From Margaret and Charles trying to help Jarod, to Jarod hounding Parker whether she was hungry, wanted her pillow fluffed, or was having any cravings. Parker looked like if she had her 9-mm, she would have cleared the room in a second. The agonizing look on her face said it all. Lily wondered if that is what her room looked like after they had gotten her back to Angel's Hope.

"What's all the fuss?" Thomas asked. "Miss Parker looks like she could kill someone."

Lily chuckled. "She's just not use to having a family around I guess. Would you like to join them instead of going to the game room?"

Thomas looked in one more time and shook his head no. "I think if one more person goes in there, Miss Parker is going to blow a gasket. I better stick with you."

Lily and Thomas snuck past the room and headed for the elevator. Fred appeared behind them. Lily nodded to the man and kept going. After a short trip, they were in front of the glass windows that housed the game room. It was a bustle with the children retrieved from NuGenesis. "Seems like we have some guests about your age. Let's go in." Lily tugged on Thomas' arm.

"I didn't know there would be this many children here. Maybe we could come back another time." Thomas said as he surveyed the ruckus that was taking place.

"Now is a perfect time." Lily said as she grabbed Thomas' hand and pulled him through the door. The children parted way as Lily pulled the young man to the skeeball machines. Lily picked up one of the wooden balls and got a feel for it in her hand. She caught Thomas' attention as he surveyed the room of children who were peeking at them trying to be inconspicuous. "The game is all a law of physics Thomas. See." Lily calculated the projection that the ball needed to go and hit the 100-point bonus hole.

Thomas picked up one of the balls, looked up the lane, and then threw the ball. He missed the 100-pt. bonus. "Hmph." He snorted as he picked up another ball. He hit the 50-pt. hole. Then he picked up another and tried for the other 100-pt. hole again. This time he was closer. "Ugh." He retorted at the wayward ball.

A young girl came up into the lane next to him. She threw the ball and it landed in the 40 pt. Hole. "Don't try so hard. The grownups talk about calculations and stuff, but I just like to throw the ball and see where it lands." She gave Thomas another big smile and threw another ball.

Thomas picked up another ball and just threw it this time. He hit the 50-pt. Hole.

The girl squealed in delight. "Good shot."

Thomas blushed a little as the young lady picked up another ball. She threw as Thomas picked up another ball. Some other older children came and took up the other lanes as Lily stepped back and smiled.

"Hi. I'm Richard." The boy stretched his hand out to Thomas. "You're new here. Us too. Isn't this place cool? We never had a place like this where they were keeping us locked away."

Thomas took his hand. "Me either. It was all simulations."

"Wow, us too. And drinking that God-awful stuff. Yuk!" The boy made a funny face as if he was choking.

"Wheat grass and tomato juice?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah. That's it. Here we get whatever we want, in moderation. I tried to eat five what they called cheeseburgers the first day I was here. I almost puked." The boy threw a ball.

"Have you tried ice cream yet?" Thomas asked with excitement.

"Ice cream is the best!" The young girl added. "My name is Elizabeth, but I like the nickname Lizzie."

"Hello Lizzie, nice to meet you." Thomas looked at the pretty girl next to him. He hadn't thought much about girls since escaping from the Centre and constantly having to be on the run. But he found that he was starting to sweat and his heart rate was accelerated. When he looked at her long brown curls, he just wanted to reach out and touch her soft hair. Suddenly, he felt a blush coming on. "I love ice cream. My….brother introduced me to it. I don't ever want to look at wheat grass and tomato juice again."

"Here, here." Chimed in Richard. "Have you tried any of the other games yet?"

"No." Thomas said shaking his head. He looked over at Lily. "Can I try them?"

Lily smiled. "Sure Thomas. I'll leave you kids alone and just let the Security Guard know when you want to return to your room. OK?" It was time for him to be just a kid. It was time for everyone to get on with their lives.

"Thank you." Thomas turned and went farther into the game room.

Lily stood there for a moment and just remembered what it had been like when she was young. Coming to this room had been an oasis for her. It countered all the work she was doing with her simulations. She had felt normal for just a moment. But Jarod hadn't been given that luxury. It wasn't fair – she should have been able to grow up with her brother…with her family. With a sigh, Lily left the game room.

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Countdown To Destiny Begins

5:00 a.m.

The night flew quickly by and broke into a beautiful dawn. Lily found herself in the arboretum just sitting there until she could watch the sun come up. It was going to be a new day – for everyone. She would see to it. She massaged her temples fighting the headache she had had since she got up. Even though she had slept, her mind still had been racing a mile a minute. She had gone back to her room so she could avoid her family and more Jarod. Lily didn't want a confrontation right now.

"Penny for your thoughts." A voice asked from behind Lily.

Lily jumped at the sound that pulled her from her deep thoughts. But she knew the voice. She didn't turn around. "Good morning Joan."

Stedman came and sat on a rock near Lily. "Tell me what is going on Lily."

Smiling, Lily closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face. "What makes you think that something is going on?"

"Let me see." Stedman began to tick off. "You never went back to your hospital room last night, which by the way had the nursing staff in an uproar. Two, Veronica didn't leave the medical wing till everyone was asleep and then Joel took her place. Plus our security man Fred seems to be very evasive when I ask him of your activities of late. Three, I got a call this morning from the airstrip that the planes are being mobilized for take off." Joan paused to look at Lily's expression which was unsettling blank. "Did you think I wouldn't know what you were trying to do? That after the Centre incident I wouldn't have a tighter reign on your activities? I have known you all your life. You don't just roll over and die."

Lily opened her eyes, still not directly looking at Joan. "The question is do you trust me enough to let me go."

"The question is why are you going?" Joan knew better than to move from that rock. If she didn't approach this right, Lily would bolt.

"I'm going to save our home. I'm going to save the future children that will be hurt by that madman. I'm going because he needs to be stopped. I'm going…" The anger had grown in her till she wanted to scream, but Lily controlled herself. "I'm not crazy Joan."

Dr. Stedman grinned. "I never thought you were crazy Lily. I just have to do what is in the best interest of everyone not just one person."

"The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one. I've seen Star Trek Joan." Lily huffed.

"It's a philosophy that has been in place for a long time with many leaders. And it's sound. I can't jeopardize everyone on a fool-hardy mission. So explain to me the benefits of your plan verses going with Parkers."

"With my plan we're free and a madman is liquidated." Lily said bluntly.

"But can you guarantee that everyone will be safe? With Parker's plan everyone evacuated and the threat is nullified." Stedman bantered.

"With Parker's plan we lose Angel's Hope, our one stronghold we can defend from. We won't be able to get another facility built to these specifications without the world finding out. Catherine Parker could hide things back in the 60's. Not now. There are too many trails that would lead them straight to us." Lily started pacing back and forth. "So how long does that give us Joan? A year…six months… Raines will stop at nothing to find us now. Especially…" Lily couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Especially because of your pregnancy?" Joan gently grabbed Lily's arm to stop her pacing.

"If you choose to evacuate Joan, then I won't be coming with you." Lily stared away from Joan. "I'm too much of a risk to you all. He doesn't know about Parker. I can lead the Sweepers away from everyone. Bring them to a totally different part of the world."

"Never Lily!" Joan barked. "I will not let you sacrifice yourself to save us."

Lily looked into Joan's eyes and saw the tears forming. "The needs of the many – remember? Jarod ran from them for almost six years, so can I."

Joan took in a big breath and centered herself. "I think you are right Lily." After a few moments she finally said.

"Good. I can take off this afternoon, draw Raines away while you transport everyone…"

Joan cut of Lily. "No. I don't want you out there alone. We won't be able to build another facility where we have the privacy we have built here. Take the teams, go after Raines."

Shock kept Lily from saying anything at first. When she finally found her voice, all she could say was. "You trust me?"

Taking Lily's face in her hands, Joan kissed Lily's forehead. "I have always trusted you. It just seemed for a while you were lost. But you're not thinking about you or Bobby alone anymore, you're thinking about the good of Angel's Hope. Back to where you were in the beginning of all this."

"Thank you." Lily said as she headed for the door. "I have to finalize the team assignments and …."

"Lily. Wait a moment." Lily turned to look at Joan. "The operative at the Centre reported that Raines has captured Mark."

"No big surprise there. Serves him right." Lily had no sympathy for Mark. He was reaping what he had sewn. Lily saw the concern on Joan's face. "We're leaving this afternoon. I'll make sure I get him." Lily grumbled as she turned around. "And then I'm going to beat his ass within an inch of his life."

Joan watched the young Pretender leave the room mumbling no doubt what she was going to do to Mark once she rescued him. That would be between the two of them. There was nothing more dangerous than a wounded lover…or a cornered mother protecting her child. Joan looked up into the sunshine. "I hope I'm doing the right thing Catherine." With that thought said, Joan followed Lily from the room.

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7:00 a.m.

The nurse walked into Parker's room and starting announcing loudly that it was time for vitals, then breakfast. Parker yelled for the woman to leave her room in as many explanatives a person can fit into one sentence, while Jarod tried to calm Parker and keep her from ripping the poor woman apart. After breakfast was brought in, Parker calmed down.

"This is ridiculous Jarod. Either I need to rest and they leave me alone. Or I don't need to rest in which then hand me my 9mm and let me get back to planning on the evacuation and mobilization plans."

Jarod shook his head. "You are not leaving this room till Dr. Berez says so. Also, that poor woman was just doing her job. She can't help that you are grumpy without your coffee in the morning." Jarod smiled a little devilish smile.

"I'd rather have a cigarette." Parker groused.

"Definitely no smoking. Besides the baby, we don't need anything to upset your ulcer." Jarod's face became stern.

"I haven't had ulcer problems since the operation Jarod. You know that – stop mothering me." Parker crossed her arms over her chest. "Just get me my clothes and let me do _my_ job."

"Your job is to take care of our baby, so you aren't going anywhere until the doctor says so." Jarod smiled sweetly at Parker, which infuriated her.

"Your lucky I don't have my 9mm or a tazer weapon. You'd be going down and I'd be walking my stiletto healed self out of here. This is driving me crazy Jarod. We have a million things to do. I can't just sit here." Parker looked like a spoiled child about to have a fit.

Jarod pulled up a chair next to her and took her hand. "If you don't calm down, Dr. Berez isn't going to let you go anywhere." Jarod put his finger over her lips before she could protest. "You almost lost the baby yesterday. Do you want to chance that again? I will take care of starting preparations. We will evacuate as soon as possible – I promise. So please just sit back and relax." He gently pushed Parker back down onto her pillow. Parker went with a huff. "Can I trust you to stay here while I'm gone?"

"Of course." Parker replied with her best Ice Princess glare.

Jarod stood and placed a kiss on her head. "That's my girl." He smiled as he left the room.

Two minutes after Jarod left Parker was up and looking for her clothes. She searched the closet and was heading for the drawers when she heard the door open.

Jarod stuck his head back in. "By the way, there are no clothes here." He turned around snickering and then turned back towards Parker. "And Henry is out here with strict instructions that you are _NOT_ to leave the room. So get comfortable Parker, you're not going anywhere." Jarod ducked out the door just as a plastic basin came flying at the door.

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8:00 a.m.

Lily was sitting at her desk typing a note to Jarod. She had written and deleted the letter three times already trying to explain to her twin why she was technically betraying him and his girlfriend. Maybe betray was too harsh a word. Protect? Defend? Rationalize was more like it. She was trying to justify her actions. But was the betrayal hers or his.

This was her facility, her people. All she was trying to do was protect what was hers. Before Parker had showed up. "Stop it, stop it, stop it." Lily muttered to herself. "They are not the enemy." She exhaled sharply. Then why did it feel that way? No one had ever questioned her decisions before. But Parker had – every step of the way. And this was to be her sister-in-law? Ugh. Lily put her head down on the cool desk wanting to pound her head.

A soft knock on the door brought Lily's head up. "Enter." Lily answered.

Ronnie walked in and plopped herself in the chair before Lily. She was holding a manila file folder. "You look rough."

Lily shook her head. "Rough doesn't describe it. You here to report or just heckle me?" A devious smile washed across Ronnie's face. "What have you done?"

"Well, you know how we needed time to implement everything without the Ice Princess and Bro finding out?" Ronnie leaned back in her chair smiling like the Cheshire Cat.

Though she had just been cutting Parker down in her own mind, Lily wasn't about to let the team get away with it. "Veronica." Lily said in her sternest voice.

"Oh you're no fun any more." Ronnie retorted. "Well like I was saying, we needed a diversion. You got one. Berez will not be able to release Parker for hours."

"Why?" Lily asked. "What have you done?"

Ronnie sat up and leaned toward the desk. "I may have inadvertently said in passing to one of the nurses in the medical wing that I thought I had seen spots on one of the children brought in from NuGenesis."

"Spots?" Lily asked not understanding what Ronnie had done.

"You know. Spots. Measles. The nurse immediately called Dr. Berez. Berez in turn called the other doctors and went storming off to the children's dormitory wing. She's frantic. You should have seen her."

"Why would measles drive her crazy?" Lily asked still perplexed.

"Hello. Anyone home? You're supposed to be the genius. Measles. Pregnant women." Ronnie gestured for Lily to come on and put two and two together.

Lily jumped up. "You didn't. Ronnie. The whole facility will be put in lockdown."

"Nope." Ronnie retorted. "Parker will be put in lockdown. Berez isn't releasing her until she's checked and isolated the infected children. Thus, Parker stays put and we can go along with business as planned. I also interrupted the service on Berez's phone so she can't call Dr. Stedman." Ronnie smiled again.

Lily came around the desk. "This might just work. And Joan's not a problem, she's backing us."

"Cool. One snafu Boss. I'd keep yourself away from any of the medical staff and out of your office." Ronnie got up to leave. "Parker isn't the only one whose suppose to be on quarantine. Sorry. Didn't think of it at the time."

"Ugh. Ronnie, sometimes I could hug you and then kill you." Lily mocked choking her.

"You know you love me Baby. Plus, I was sweeping the records as usual and I found something I think Joan didn't want you to know." She handed the manila file to Lily.

Lily took the file and opened it, reading quickly the contents. "Oh no." Lily leaned up against the desk and looked up at Ronnie. "Parker is going to be devastated." Lily continued reading the report. "Why didn't she tell anyone." Lily was more or less talking to herself. "I should have known when I found out about the scrolls." Lily closed the file and again looked to Ronnie. "She has the right to know. And we need an escape diversion. I guess this is as good as any. Damn." Lily hit the file on her leg.

"You all right Boss?" Ronnie asked concerned.

"Yeah. It's not easy making decisions when it has to do with family." Lily wanted to throw the folder across the room.

"But you always make the right ones." Ronnie turned to leave. When she reached the door she turned around. "By the way, Jarod is on his way up. I had Ron throw in some interference, but I don't think it'll be much longer before he gets here."

"Thanks Ronnie. I'll be down in a bit to inspect the equipment. Proceed as planned. We leave at 17:00."

"You got it." With that, Ronnie slipped out the door.

Lily went back around the desk and typed the last few words to her note. She hit the print button and grabbed the sheet as it came out of the printer. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. Stuffing the letter in the envelope, she sealed it and addressed it to Jarod. She tucked the envelope in the file folder she had previously been carrying when there was another knock on the door. "Come in." Lily said as she hoped it was Jarod and not the medical staff coming to take her away.

"Hi." Jarod said as he entered the room. "How are you doing?"

"Me." Lily pointed to herself. "Fine. How's Parker?" The coolness in Lily's voice could be felt across the room.

"Doing better. The doctors said that if she can stay calm that everything should be fine. I'm taking care that she stays calm." Jarod responded as he came further into the room and came to stand next to Lily's desk. "Is this how things are going to be? Very formal. Cordialities only? I thought you were coming down to the medical wing yesterday. Mom and Dad were looking for you. _I_ was looking for you."

Lily studied her brother's face. She could see the pain the whole situation was causing. "I'm sorry Jarod. I guess I'm not dealing with this whole situation very well am I?" Lily got up and came around the desk. "I'm not use to the idea of having a family. Having others tell me what to do, how to behave."

"It's time for the rebel to stop fighting. We're not the enemy Lily. We just want to keep everyone safe the only way we know how." Jarod tried to run his hand down Lily's arm.

Lily pulled away. "You run." Lily walked past Jarod to the bookcase on the far wall of her office. It held pictures of her life before she remembered anything about the Centre. A time when she had been happy. Or had she really been? Isn't that why they were where they were today. Because of her wanderlust. "What do you want Jarod?"

Jarod hung his head. "Your cooperation." He spoke to his chest, not wanting to see the pain in her face.

"And what will you give me for my cooperation?" Lily said as she spun around.

Jarod looked up and moved to his sister. "Unconditional love, safety, eventual freedom - having a family can provide all that. We won't be running alone anymore. Don't you want a chance to be a family Lily? Mom and Dad want that so much. I can see it in their eyes."

Lily saw things in their eyes - love for Emily, Ethan, Thomas, Jarod. She was just a stranger to them. A dangerous stranger. "I'll have to think about it Jarod. In the meantime, Joan has assigned Alpha team to you. To start your preparations." So she lied just a little.

"Alpha team? Your team? Dr. Stedman gave me your team?" The concern grew on Jarod's face. He didn't want to take his sister's team away from her.

"Don't be so shocked big brother. Sister isn't the most trusted person anymore. So take it. Make your arrangements. I won't get in your way." Lily moved away from Jarod and went back around the desk. "Get Parker to safety."

Jarod followed her. "Get us all to safety. You too Lily." Jarod grabbed his sister's arms. "You are a part of my family too Lily. Everyone here is important to me."

Lily shrugged his arms off and sat in her chair. "Go Jarod. Before I change my mind." Lily sat there stoically as Jarod hung his head and went to leave.

"I love you Lily. I really do." With that Jarod turned and left the room.

"I love you too big brother." Lily took the letter out of the folder. "Be safe." She grabbed the folder as well and headed out to meet her demolition team.

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Explosive emotions and painful love.

The Players are moving into place.

The Queens are taking their positions.

But what will happen to the pawns?


	88. Tick Tock Goes the Clock

Explosive emotions and painful love.

The Players are moving into place.

The Queens are taking their positions.

But what will happen to the pawns?

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"Alpha team? Your team? Dr. Stedman gave me your team?" The concern grew on Jarod's face. He didn't want to take his sister's team away from her.

"Don't be so shocked big brother. Sister isn't the most trusted person anymore. So take it. Make your arrangements. I won't get in your way." Lily moved away from Jarod and went back around the desk. "Get Parker to safety."

Jarod followed her. "Get us all to safety. You too Lily." Jarod grabbed his sister's arms. "You are a part of my family too Lily. Everyone here is important to me."

Lily shrugged his arms off and sat in her chair. "Go Jarod. Before I change my mind." Lily sat there stoically as Jarod hung his head and went to leave.

"I love you Lily. I really do." With that Jarod turned and left the room.

"I love you too big brother." Lily took the letter out of the folder. "Be safe." She grabbed the folder as well and headed out to meet her demolition team.

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Raines sat at his desk as five technicians stood before him. "Well?" Raines asked in his gravely voice.

The men fidgeted about. The lead technician came forward. "I'm sorry Mr. Raines. We weren't able to track the transmission. Maybe if we had Mr. Broots...if you could pull him in from his field assignment..."

Willie, who was standing next to Raines' desk, just stared down at the men. He knew the truth. Mr. Broots would not be riding in on a white horse to save these men. And Raines was not a man to tolerate failure, let alone multiple failures.

"But he isn't. Is he? And you are suppose to be the most qualified experts in your fields. So why don't I have my answers?" Raines bellowed as loud as he could which turned into more of a growl than anything else. Air hoses and emphysema tended to bring about those results. "I suggest that you gentleman bring me some answers and solutions. Or you may find yourselves in a _very_ unpleasant situation." Willie came and stood next to Raines.

"Yes Sir." All five men said at once. They scrambled over each other to get out of the room.

"Idiots." Willie stated.

"I need answers Willie. This was either the clone's doing or Mr. Broots. It has their handiwork all over it. I want the location of that base!" Raines wheezed. "Get Mark ready. I think we need to show him a little more persuasion."

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9:00 a.m.

Becky met Captain Marcus at his hanger office. She was moving nervously, scuffing her shoes not knowing how to ask him what she wanted. Becky jumped with a start as he came up behind her.

"So, what has your pretty little self in an uproar? Your message said it was important." Marcus directed Becky over to the couch.

Wringing her hands, Becky kept her head lowered. "Something's happening John. Something that could turn out badly." Becky looked up into his beautiful hazel eyes and sighed.

Marcus smiled. "I heard that we were evacuating. I also heard that Lily is assembling the troops to mount an offensive. But her brother isn't supposed to know." Marcus sat down next to Becky. "Or Miss Parker for that matter." His sly smile showed his dimples.

"All that is suppose to be classified." Becky sat there with her mouth open.

Marcus took his two fingers and gently shut Becky's mouth, outlining her lips with his pointer finger. "When you became my business, everything going on around you became my business. I want to protect you."

"But how did you?" Becky asked just as Marcus pulled her into his arms. Before she knew it, Marcus' soft lips were attached to hers. Becky blushed as the heat of his kiss created a warmth that started in her toes and radiated through her whole body. He coaxed her into a full kiss, showing her how he felt about her. As he pulled away from her, all she could say was. "Wow."

Marcus wore the grin of a man very pleased with himself. "I aim to please milady. And to answer your question, Elizabeth in the armory told me. Said we were all on alert per Dr. Stedman."

Becky felt even more nervous now. "So…which side are you on?"

Confusion marked Marcus' face "Side?"

"Lily or Jarod? Defend or evacuate?" Becky looked down at her squirming hands. "I know that there are people who think that Lily hasn't been making the best decisions."

"Is that what all this is about?" He laughed. "You want to know whose orders I'll follow?"

"I don't think it's funny you brute." Becky hit him on the chest. "Lily's important to me. This facility is important to me."

Marcus pulled her up off the couch. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. I will always follow Lily. Not because she's your friend, but because she has proven herself a great leader. I've been on other missions with her. She's brilliant and always thinks about others before herself."

Becky sighed and relaxed in John's arms. "I'm glad you feel that way. I love Lily like she was my real sister. But I'm concerned about one thing."

"What's worrying you?" Marcus asked as he allowed the two of them to sit back down and relax on the couch again. He slid his arm around her shoulders so that she could feel his support and a little hug.

"Lily loves Jarod. Has from the minute she found out he was her brother. But this situation with Parker is going to drive a _huge_ wedge between them. If she takes out the Centre without Parker and Jarod, they are going to freak. Parker is convinced that the Centre will win, so we have to counter by disappearing. Jarod has known Parker almost his whole life and he loves her. Lily's plan will be something that Lily and Jarod's relationship will never be able to recover from." Becky leaned her head back against Marcus' shoulder.

"So, we need to diffuse the situation without jeopardizing the mission's purpose?" The wheels were already turning in his brain. "I think I have an idea." He smiled and kissed Becky. Looking into her eyes. "This is what we are going to do…"

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Raines pulled his air tank into Lyle's cell. "Well I find it very interesting that the person you risked your life for has left you here to rot."

Bobby was lying on his bed with his arms up behind his head. He didn't even bother to look up as Raines had entered.

"Don't you have anything better to do, Dad?" Bobby closed his eyes trying to keep his anger in check. "Not that I don't just love your social calls."

"You should be worried Lyle. Time is ticking. It is only a matter of time before I get the location of Angel's Hope from Mark. Then Lily and her little band of misfits will be mine." Raines stared down at Lyle. "If you cooperate with me, maybe I will spare her."

Bobby sat up slowly, finally pulling himself to his full height in front of Raines. Willie and Sam came to stand behind Raines. Bobby coldly looked at the two men. "If you were that close to finding out where Angel's Hope was, you wouldn't be here old man. And I have no doubts that you will be meeting up with Lily – very soon. She's coming and she's coming for you. Not me. Understand?"

"How do you know she is coming? I know no transmissions have left this room. Lily left here in pieces. An attack on the Centre would be pointless and suicidal. Again - how do you know she is coming?" Raines wheezed as the last words came out in a yell that drained his lungs of air.

Bobby backed away. "You still haven't figured out that you've created your own destruction. You create sociopathic people who are geniuses and expect them to become your puppets? Your long list of accomplishments Dad, who have tried to kill you, should have proven a long time ago that you were always a dead man. Even before the emphysema. You locked Kyle away, thought him so dangerous that you had him locked away for life. He's a creampuff compared to Lily." Bobby turned from Raines. "Lily has one thing Kyle didn't - resources." Bobby turned back around to face Raines. "And she is going to use them to destroy you."

"Illusions of grandeur Lyle? No one has more power than I do. That's why I'm still alive. Now either give me useful information or Willie will be doing some persuading."

Before Raines could say another word, a bloodcurdling scream echoed down the hall and reverberated into Bobby's room. "Debbie." Bobby whispered as he pushed past Raines only to be caught by both Willie and Sam. "What are you doing to her?" Bobby yelled as another scream came filtering down the hall. "Debbie!" Bobby screamed in response as Willie and Sam wrestled him to the floor.

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10:00 a.m.

As Jarod entered the room, he immediately knew that Parker was in destruct mode. Her arms were folded over her chest as the nurse standing next to the bed had one hand fisted in anger, the other holding a wash cloth. A basin of water sat on the nightstand.

"Finally! Jarod, please tell this pill pusher that I am quite capable of taking care of myself and my grooming needs." Parker glared at the woman next to her.

Jarod slightly shook his head and approached the two women. "Parker, calm down. The nurse is only trying to do her job." He came up to the frustrated caregiver and took the cloth from her hand. "I can do this. Thank you Nurse…" Jarod took a quick peek at her ID. "Williams."

"Sir. I am really supposed to…." Just then Jarod gave her his sad chestnut brown-eyed puppy look. "All right, but I better not get in trouble for this."

"I promise that I will notify Dr. Stedman personally that you tried everything you could. That your patient was being a royal pain in the Gluteus Maximus and that I relived you."

"Hey." Parker huffed. "Watch it Pez boy."

"Love you." Jarod replied with a smile. He watched the nurse leave the room, then turned back to Parker. "You have to learn to control your temper Parker. It's not good for the baby."

"Sorry if I don't want to submit to the vampire's most recent form of torture. It's bad enough she took enough blood earlier to drain all of Blue Cove." Parker snipped.

"A little more testy since I left are we?" Jarod observed. "What's wrong Parker?"

Parker snapped her head away from Jarod. "Nothing."

Jarod gently turned Parker around. "I don't think it's nothing. Tell me what's wrong." He flung the washcloth into the basin.

"It's just a feeling Jarod. Like something is going to happen and I have no control over. How did everything go with the evacuation set up?" Parker felt drained and tired.

"Fine. Though I still couldn't get a hold of Dr. Berez to see when you all could be moved. I guess she is still busy with the children. And we can't leave without them. And we can't move you all to the same place if they have measles and you and Lily are pregnant."

Parker could see the lines of worry that were starting to become a permanent fixture on Jarod's face. "You don't have to have the weight of all this on your shoulders alone Jarod. Get Ethan to help you or Charles. I would, but I know that I would have a better chance maneuvering through a mind field than getting past you to get out of bed."

"You're not moving till I get the authorization from Dr. Berez." Jarod sat down on the bed next to Parker. "Now…there is a matter of this sponge bath you were suppose to have." Jarod leaned over and picked up the cloth out of the basin.

"Don't you even dare Jarod." Parker warned. "Don't make me get my 9mm."

"I think it would be the best way to relax you." Jarod lifted Parker's arm and softly caressed her skin with the cloth. He worked his way up her arm while Parker looked at him with eyes that were becoming seductive. Jarod continued up under her neck and then to the valley between her breasts.

"So, you think that Dr. Berez would authorize this type of activity?" Parker purred, her hormones attacking her in an uproar.

"I'm sure that she would be happy to hear that you were getting the proper cleansing care." Jarod moved to Parker's other arm.

"I think that if you keep this up I am going to ravage you right here, right now." Parker had the look of a predator about to pounce on its prey.

"No you won't. You will stay put and let me finish what I started." A glint came to his eyes as he lowered the sheets to have access to her legs.

"That's what I'm talking about Boy Genius. Finishing what you are starting." Parker started to play with Jarod's ear and neck with her nail.

Jarod waved her hand away. "None of that. Be a good patient." Jarod finished and pulled the sheet back up.

"I can be a _very _good when I want to be." Parker said in a seductive voice. "Come on Jarod, I'm so tense I could shoot someone. Release some of the tension for me."

"Parker. You are supposed to be sick. And I was trying to take your mind off everything. I just didn't think you would want…..you know…..here." Jarod looked around as if someone was watching them.

"They say that pregnant women have great hormonal urges. I think I agree with them. So either make love to me or let me out of this room!" Parker pulled Jarod into a kiss.

Resisting at first, Jarod reluctantly allowed himself to enjoy the kiss. Parker tried pulling him down, but Jarod placed both his palms firmly on the bed. "Not going to happen Parker. The baby...you're on bed rest...the cameras." Jarod nodded his head toward the surveillance equipment.

"Fine." Parker said sharply as she pushed Jarod away. She let out an exaggerated sigh just to let Jarod know that she was annoyed. "Did you see your sister?"

It was Jarod's turn to sigh. "Yes. Lily said that Dr. Stedman has given me access to her team."

"Like Hell. She had to be as angry as a wet hen." Parker saw Jarod's face and was confused. He looked sad and she felt him pull away from her. "What happened Jarod?" She gently placed her hand on his arm.

"Angry." Jarod said looking away from Parker, pain becoming more evident on his face. "I'm going to lose her Parker. We're drifting apart and I don't know how to fix it. I could see the pain in her eyes, the anger in her stance. But she didn't fight, she didn't throw a tantrum...she just told me to take her team and leave. How can I make her understand that what we are doing is right?"

Parker started shaking her head. "It's not going to happen Jarod. She has other priorities. One of which is my idiotic, stupid ass brother."

Jarod swung his head back around. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Lyle doesn't deserve that Parker. He helped me save Lily and went back for Debbie. He's no saint, but stupid he is not. And Lily doesn't have priorities. She's worried about everyone just like us."

"Lyle could be sitting pretty in his office Jarod. Waiting for his plan to succeed - Lily handing herself and Angel's Hope over willingly. That's how Lyle thinks, that's how he works. And Lily isn't the same person who left here Jarod. She's different, colder, and more distant. You just don't want to see it Jarod." Parker looked into Jarod's eyes hoping that what she was saying would get through.

"You're wrong Parker. She's Lily. She's still my sister. And she would give her life for this place." Jarod looked away from Parker again running his hand threw his hair. "You've got to be wrong." He whispered.

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Lily clicked the last number into place on the safe. She had come to the old record section in search of what she suspected was hidden here. She had always wondered why there had been a safe in this old abandoned room. And why the security system was always in place.

The lock clicked and Lily turned the handle. She slowly opened the door and peered inside. Boxes were neatly stacked on top of each other. Each box with a year written on top. Lily searched through the boxes and found the year she was looking for.

The box made a creaking sound as Lily opened it. After shuffling through the contents she found what she was looking for. With great care she pulled out a single child's bracelet and let it dangle in front of her. Her badge of honor hung before her, the evidence of her nightmare.

Lily looked at it for a moment, letting the memories flood her. She closed her eyes trying to keep her flooding emotions at bay. With tears in her eyes she read the inscription - Lily SL27. Lily took the box and dumped it upside down. Bracelets fell to the floor. So many bracelets, so few surviving.

Lily dropped to her knees. "I'm so sorry." Guilt flooded her now. For the ones who hadn't survived when she had. One bracelet shone in the dim light. Lily picked it up and read it. "Becky SL27." Her sister's bracelet. The one who had always been at her side. Lily dropped the two bracelets into the box and then scooped up the others. She placed them all back in the box. She pulled the backpack off her back and started putting all the boxes in it. "Never again." She whispered over and over. "Never again..."

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The clock is ticking.

The Game is coming to its climax.

Memories of Games gone past are coming back into play.

Will the Players be effected by their outcomes?


	89. The Eagle Flies

The clock is ticking.

The Game is coming to its climax.

Memories of Games gone past are coming back into play.

Will the Players be effected by their outcomes?

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The box made a creaking sound as Lily opened it. After shuffling through the contents she found what she was looking for. With great care she pulled out a single child's bracelet and let it dangle in front of her. Her badge of honor hung before her, the evidence of her nightmare.

Lily looked at it for a moment, letting the memories flood her. She closed her eyes trying to keep her flooding emotions at bay. With tears in her eyes she read the inscription - Lily SL27. Lily took the box and dumped it upside down. Bracelets fell to the floor. So many bracelets, so few surviving.

Lily dropped to her knees. "I'm so sorry." Guilt flooded her now. For the ones who hadn't survived when she had. One bracelet shone in the dim light. Lily picked it up and read it. "Becky SL27." Her sister's bracelet. The one who had always been at her side. Lily dropped the two bracelets into the box and then scooped up the others. She placed them all back in the box. She pulled the backpack off her back and started putting all the boxes in it. "Never again." She whispered over and over. "Never again..."

After pulling the backpack on, Lily headed for the metal works shop. There was something she wanted done before they left for the Centre. Something they all needed to have before they went back to the place where it all began.

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11:00 a.m.

Jarod left Parker in Isolation and went to check on his parents. He wanted to make sure that they were ready to leave as soon as he got the word Parker could be moved. He had spoken to Veronica, Lily's second in command, and had arranged for the evacuation orders to be started. Something about speaking to the woman made Jarod's hair stand on end. Maybe it was the fact that she was Lily's second that made him uneasy. Lily's rapport with the woman was made over years of the two working together. Lily called her Ronnie, but Jarod couldn't bring himself to use the much more personal name. Would she really follow Jarod's orders?

Major Charles was sitting next to his wife. Margaret was receiving her daily therapy. Charles worried face was evident as Jarod entered the room. There were lines etched on his father's face that he hadn't seen there when he had first found Major Charles. The years of worry and running were catching up to a man who should be celebrating retirement, not the calculated demise of his family. And Charles knew that is what was on Raines' mind if he ever got his hands on them.

"Hi Mom, Dad." Jarod said as he moved over to the side of the bed his father occupied. "How is therapy going?"

Margaret winced as the therapist rotated her arm above her head. "Fine honey. Ouch." Margaret winced. "Joseph here has been well versed in the newest forms of torture."

"Margaret." Her husband scolded. "He is only helping you. It's not going to get any better if you don't move it."

"I know Dear. Joseph knows I'm only joking. Don't you Joseph?" Margaret took her free hand and patted Joseph's arm.

"Yes Mrs. O'Connor. I'm use to it. I have broad shoulders." The young man winked at Margaret. Charles' feathers ruffled.

"You better watch out Joseph. Charles has a jealous streak a mile long." She wrinkled her nose at her husband who was about to object. "But I love him anyway."

Jarod watched his parents and his heart melted. This was what he wanted with Parker. His mother and father were comfortable with each other. Even with their separation, it was like they had never been apart. He wanted Parker's and his relationship to be like that. But they had a long way to go. Jarod would need to break through all of Parker's defenses before she would be as open as his Mom. But he knew in time, it would happen.

Charles looked up to see Jarod staring at Margaret and him. He still couldn't believe that he had his whole family together in one place. But he could also see that something was bothering Jarod. Charles got up and touched Margaret on the shoulder signaling to her that he was going to go talk to Jarod.

Jarod moved with his Dad toward the door. "How's Mom doing really?"

"She's fine Jarod. How is Melissa?"

"Parker's fine. We're just waiting for Dr. Berez to clear that she can leave Angel's Hope. You must have been talking to Dr. Stedman. If Parker hears you call her Melissa, she's going to burst. But I guess she better get use to it. I can't see Mom calling her Parker." Jarod looked down at his feet.

"What's bothering you son?" Charles asked placing his hand on Jarod's shoulder. "Is everything all right with the baby?"

"The baby is fine. There's a possibility that an outbreak of measles has hit the children in pediatrics section. They have Parker in quarantine till they get the children isolated. I don't think they have located Lily yet."

Lily approached her parent's room after having been told by security that Jarod had gone there. The voices coming from within sounded strained. The ominous overcast that the Centre had cast over Angel's Hope was creeping in. Tensions were rising – not just with Jarod and Parker, but now she knew with her whole family. Lily was sure that her going after Emily hadn't helped the situation. The memory made Lily want to kick herself for losing her self-control. The Centre had done that to her. The wound Raines had inflicted was deep.

Hearing her name mentioned as she approached the door brought her to a stop before she entered the room. Instinct told her to push herself up against the wall. She wanted to listen to what Jarod and Charles had to say.

"Why would they want to locate Lily?" Charles asked.

"The nursing staff wanted to make sure that she stayed away from the infected children, but I also think they were instructed to watch her." Jarod leaned up against the opposite side of the wall from where Lily was standing. "I don't think we are being told everything about Lily's status."

Charles nodded. "You think that they are supposed to be observing her behavior, don't you?" Charles looked with concern to Jarod. "Do you think she is a danger to us Jarod?"

"She would never endanger us on purpose…" Jarod's voice trailed off.

"But by her actions she could. The fact that she wants to go back and attack the Centre. Doesn't she realize how disastrous that would be. She would not only be putting all of us in danger, but the whole facility. You are _the_ expert on the Centre. Lily should be bowing to your knowledge and expertise." Charles' voice became rough as his frustration grew.

Lily lowered her head as she heard her father speak of his belief in her unstableness. She felt a ball form in the pit of her stomach. Her father was basically saying that he did not trust her judgment...he did not trust her. Emotions welled inside her burning her heart and soul. Lily took in a quick breath. What had she expected? Respect. Understanding? Love? A tear ran down Lily's cheek. She had at least hoped for caring. From the sound of it, she had been wrong.

"Dad. It doesn't matter. Lily has given me her team. We are evacuating Angel's Hope. We will move to a location that will be secure. Raines will take months trying to find us without Parker and Broots. Danger removed." Jarod sounded resolved.

"Until such time as Lily tries to contact Raines, Lyle, or just the Centre in general. She's obsessed Jarod. Dr. Stedman herself told us that Lily might not wake up...right." Jarod turned his head away from his father. Charles put his hand on Jarod's shoulder. "She went after Emily for God's sake."

Lily winced. She had been right on the money.

Charles continued his assault. "You have to keep under consideration that she may be right Son. She may have brain damage that is causing her to fixate on the Centre. And it wouldn't be her fault that she would be putting us in danger. A malfunction in her brain synapses is not something she can cure." Jarod turned to look at his father. "We have to protect our family Son."

The regurgitation of her stomach contents propelled Lily away from the room. She didn't want to hear any more. She wanted away from these people, away from the situation...away from her life. Lily slipped away feeling more lost than she had ever in her life.

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12:00 p.m.

"Charles Michael O'Connor!" Margaret bellowed as she came up next to her husband and son. "I can't believe you are even discussing this nonsense. Lily is not unstable, she is your daughter. And though she may be a little high strung - and who isn't under the circumstances, you included - she is in complete use of her faculties." Charles glared at his wife. "Just because she sees things a different way, doesn't make her wrong."

"Margaret, Honey, you're not saying you think she's right?" He shook his head.

Jarod smiled and kissed his mother's cheek. "Thank you." He whispered to her.

Charles turned his glare toward Jarod. "Not you too."

"I think that she is just looking at the situation from a different angle. There are always two sides to a situation. You can't think in absolutes. You'll be no better than Raines then." Margaret smiled as she gave Jarod a hug.

"Now I know where I got my brains from Mom." He smiled down at her.

"I don't believe this." Charles stalked away.

"I know sweetie." Margaret patted Jarod's cheek. "But you did get your handsome looks from your father. You have to give him that much."

"Margaret!" Charles said exasperated. "How can you be so flippant at a time like this?"

Sadness came over Margaret's face as she approached her husband. "I'm sorry. I was trying to diffuse the situation. I know that it is dire times, but we have to keep cool heads. Or we are going to lose our lives," Margaret took her husbands face in her hands, "or our daughter."

"Margaret. I love you, but..." Charles started.

"Trust me." Margaret pleaded.

"Trust Lily." Jarod chimed in.

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1:00 p.m.

Becky had been looking for Lily for an hour. A half-hour into the search she had grabbed Ronnie and one other member, Joel, of Alpha team. They had ended up in Lily's office. A growing sense of dread had been creeping in on Becky. Something was wrong, very wrong. And she knew it was with Lily.

She also had been hearing weeping. Using her empathic ability she knew it was Catherine. But why was the spirit in such despair? Becky knew the others hovered in this place - waiting anxiously. She knew finding Lily would answer all her questions. "Where could she be Ronnie?"

"You would think she would be readying for her impending trip, but none of the other crews have seen her since this morning." The muscle in Ronnie's neck twitched as it did whenever she was upset or frustrated.

"All right. Clear my mind." Becky took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked over Lily's desk and found a pencil that had a chewed on end. She snatched up the writing utensil. "OK Lily. Let's see where you are." Becky took another deep breath and allowed her mind to open. It was this doorway that led to her empathic abilities. After a few minutes of letting her hands run over the front and back of the pencil, Becky started to see images. Trees, boulders, the sky through a window, pain, guilt, sorrow - Becky opened her eyes. "I know where she is."

The group followed Becky to the elevator and got off on the recreational level. Becky saw the children were in recreation time in the Game Room. The poor innocents. She slammed her palm against the arboretum door and pushed it open. "Lily?" Becky screamed into the room. "I know you're here."

"Go away." Lily replied from behind the farthest boulder in the room. She had shrunk herself behind the rock so no one could see her.

"You know I can't do that Lil." Becky slowly entered the room. She needed to know if Lily was armed. "You're broadcasting enough to awake the dead. Literally. What's wrong?" As the three came around the rock, they could see that Lily had no weapons. Just the impression on the grass that she had been rocking back and forth.

"I'm a freak Becky." Lily said not looking at her friend.

"Not any more than the rest of us." Becky came and sat cross-legged in front of her friend. "Why are you in so much pain?"

Lily let out a small nervous chuckle. "Can't get anything past you, can I? You have such a wonderful gift. It doesn't hurt people." Ronnie and Joel sat on other boulders. They knew they were in for a long haul when Becky got started.

Becky folded her hands in front of her face and leaned into them. "It's not always a _gift_ to be able to see and empath things other's are feeling. Sometimes it's a curse."

"At least your gift didn't kill people. How many people died because of what I simulated? Thousands Becky, thousands!" Lily cried out in pain. "Raines showed me who I am. He showed me what I've done!"

Becky suddenly was hit with a vision of the twin towers falling. She took a deep breath to keep from gasping and to bring herself under control before she spoke. "And who do you think told them that it would work?" Becky countered with sorrow weighing heavy in her voice. She knew exactly how Lily was feeling and it had nothing to do with being an empath.

"Oh God Becky. I never thought about it. We never talked about what you did at the Centre." Lily leaned forward and embraced Becky. "I've screwed everything up Bec. Am I even fit to make decisions like I've been making?"

Becky pushed Lily away from her. Ronnie and Joel came off the rocks and stopped just short of Lily and Becky. "You fit? Are you kidding me? No one is more qualified to make these decisions than you."

"Am I broken Becky?" Lily asked.

"I've never known you to question yourself before. Who did this to you?" Becky had a feeling, but she knew that Lily needed to say it.

"My father...was talking to Jarod..." Pain filled Lily's face and a tear rolled down her cheek. "He thinks I woke up wrong."

Becky cleared her throat. "Do you think that they are the best people to analyze you Lily? Your father doesn't even know you. What you've got to do is finish what you've started. This isn't over till we've won."

"What if I'm wrong Becky? What if I'm doing this for some sick, twisted revenge against Raines? What if I'm doing this because of Raines' programming?"

"You are doing what you've always done. Kept us alive. You're what Angel's Hope needs." Becky stood up. "There's a storm coming Lily. Your family just has terror in their hearts. Instinct is driving them to do what they've always done - run. Just remember - it's the Centre, not Angel's Hope that's bound to go away."

"The devils at our door Lily." Ronnie started. "Are you going to just let him in? Right now the way I see it, the danger isn't coming at us from the East. It's coming from down below." Ronnie came and stood above Lily. "They're undermining you, making you doubt yourself. There's no place to hide that the Centre won't eventually find Lily."

Joel came next to Ronnie. "It's the storm, not you that will breeze away. You're our rock Lily. I for one don't want to hide. Don't let them freeze you out of commission."

"Lily, there's angels on our side. Let them come at us. We're ready. You've made us ready all these years. Let the Sweepers come flying at us from across the country. We'll crush them. And Raines doesn't control you. He's just a jealous and panicked old man who's afraid of your greatness." Becky held her hand out to Lily. "Come with me." Becky pulled Lily up.

Lily followed Becky out of the arboretum. Ronnie and Joel followed. Becky abruptly stopped in front of the Game Room. "Look in there."

Peering through the glass, Lily viewed the room. "The children are having a good time."

"Look closer Lily." Becky pressed.

Lily looked in the room again. Backed against the wall were children. The counselors were trying to console them. Some sat on the floor rocking. Lily' recognized it as her defensive move against her torture. Others were off on their own, it looked like they were crying. She put her hand up on the glass. "Why are we here Becky?"

Becky always thought in terms of music. The words to Pat Benatar's song, Hell is for Children, came into her mind. She started a low melodic chorus of the song.

_They cry in the dark, so you can't see their tears  
They hide in the light, so you can't see their fears  
Forgive and forget, all the while  
Love and pain become one and the same  
In the eyes of a wounded child  
_

"Because Hell." Lily added. "Hell is for children."

"They're us Lily thirty years ago. Most people would say who knows what was done to them, but we know." Becky gently placed her hand on Lily's shoulder. Lily jumped under the touch. "We lived it. But we were the lucky ones. Like them we got out."

"How many more does Raines have to torment before we put a stop to it Lily?" Ronnie added. "How many more children will be created by this NuGenesis place only to be made into pawns? How many will die because of Raines' projects?" Ronnie pulled out of her pocket the paper she had intercepted from Broots to Dr. Stedman. "Read this Lily. Mr. Broots and the boy Thomas discovered these files."

Lily grabbed the paper and started reading. "Autopsy reports." Lily's face dropped and she became white. "They killed them to do the autopsies?"

"Dozens of them boss. He was doing some sort of research and wanted to see the brain. This guy is a real Frankenstein." Ronnie looked Lily square in the face. "Stedman also got information that Raines has started his decimation on Debbie Broots. You want to let this monster have free reign or do we stop him?"

Lily crumpled the paper in her hands. "Get the troops moving. I want them on the transports in an hour. Notify the Annex teams. Raid is a go on my mark. Put a delayed call to the FBI after we are in the air. I don't want them at the Centre site till we're finished. We're going to end this once and for all." Lily threw the paper on the floor and stormed off to get ready to leave.

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Parker tossed and turned in her bed. The nurse had given her a mild sedative so that she could rest. The pain had subsided and the staff had reassured her that was a good sign. No pain, no contractions.

The nightmare that had been plaguing her suddenly turned into a beautiful vision. Parker was standing in the middle of a green field. There were flowers for as far as she could see. Yellow, red, purple, orange - a kaleidoscope of color. The smell of the wild flowers whiffed past her, instantly relaxing her nerves.

Trees were off to her right and hanging from one tree branch was a swing. It looked so familiar that Parker went over and sat on it. She started swinging herself slightly, humming a lullaby her mother use to sing to her.

Tingling on the back of Parker's neck told her she was now not alone. She felt a slight push on her back by big strong hands. Familiar hands.

"How are you doing Parker?" A voice whispered in her ear.

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The Eagle is ready for her flight.

The Lioness is ready to protect.

The Game has been divided into camps.

Who will succeed - the Flock or the Pride?


	90. The Devil Trembles in Fear

The Eagle is ready for her flight.

The Lioness is ready to protect.

The Game has been divided into camps.

Who will succeed - the Flock or the Pride?

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Parker tossed and turned in her bed. The nurse had given her a mild sedative so that she could rest. The pain had subsided and the staff had reassured her that was a good sign. No pain, no contractions.

The nightmare that had been plaguing her suddenly turned into a beautiful vision. Parker was standing in the middle of a green field. There were flowers for as far as she could see. Yellow, red, purple, orange - a kaleidoscope of color. The smell of the wild flowers wafted past her, instantly relaxing her nerves.

Trees were off to her right and hanging from one tree branch was a swing. It looked so familiar that Parker went over and sat on it. She started swinging herself slightly, humming a lullaby her mother use to sing to her.

Tingling on the back of Parker's neck told her she was no longer alone. She felt a slight push on her back by big strong hands. Familiar hands.

"How are you doing Parker?" A voice whispered in her ear.

Parker knew who was behind her. She closed her eyes as the pain hit her opening the wound she had tried to keep closed. "Tommy." She whispered into the breeze that was gently blowing on her face.

"Hi beautiful." He whispered into her ear as he gave her another gentle push.

"What are you doing here Tommy?" She asked with angst in her voice. She shook her head. "You can't be here. You're dead. Bridgette murdered you."

"I'm always with you." Thomas continued pushing Parker. "I never left."

"Yes you did." Parker bit out trying to keep back the tears. "You left me all alone with them." Her heart felt like it was going to explode. "I was all alone." Her chin fell to her chest. She didn't want to feel the emotions she had pushed away all those years before.

"Never alone Parker." Thomas held tightly onto the rope of the swing and stopped it. He walked around to the front of the swing and knelt down. Parker noted that he still looked as scrumptious as always. He lifted her chin gently with his fingers. "You are never alone. Please calm yourself down. It's not good for the babies."

Parker blinked the tears from her eyes. "My dead boyfriend is kneeling in front of me, telling me he never left me, and you want me to calm down? Right now I would say I'm having a nervous breakdown."

Thomas wiped the tears from under Parker's eyes with his thumb. A soothing gesture. "That's why I picked here. It was the place you sent yourself when you were grieving for me. Your mother says that it was a favorite spot of yours as a child."

Parker shook her head. "Now you are saying that you spoke to my dead mother. Now I know I'm flipping out."

"Use your inner sense Parker. You've known all along that your mother and I were always there with you. It was my body that died, not my spirit. My spirit has always been with you. I love you." He gently kissed the top of her head.

"Tommy don't." Parker pulled her head away. "A lot has happened since your death. Too much to explain."

"Carthis? Your father? Jarod." Thomas looked into Parker's eyes. "He's a good man Parker. He loves you very much."

Parker started shaking her head more profusely now. "I can't talk about this with you." Parker bolted from the swing and started to walk quickly away.

"If I couldn't be with you, I wouldn't want it to be anyone else." Those words froze Parker in her tracks. "I didn't expect you to stop living Parker because I died."

Parker's body stiffened at his words. "But that's what I did for years. I wasn't living Tommy. I was nothing more than just a breathing shell that wanted nothing more than revenge for your death and answers to my questions."

"The answers are not what you need. It's a solution. Jarod started to reveal the solutions in Carthis. You were right – he has always been there during the toughest times in your life. Even at the cost of his feelings – he sent me to you."

Parker turned to look at Thomas. "Did you know then? That Jarod…"

"Was in love with you? I had an inkling. But from the moment I saw you, I knew that I wanted to be with you. Even if it was just for a brief moment in time." Thomas walked up to Parker and took her hands. "That's why I'm here now. I need to help you."

"Help me? How can you help me Tommy?" Parker was confused by where he was heading.

"A storm is blowing Parker. You have to let it roll away or you are going to end up running from it for the rest of your life." Thomas kissed her hand. "You can't do that to the babies."

"The babies are my concern." She bantered back and then stopped abruptly. "Babies? Not babies, baby." Parker emphasized.

"Babies." Thomas answered back with a smirk. "And don't change the subject Parker."

"I'm not the one changing the subject. I'm just correcting you. Baby. Singular. Non plural." Parker could feel her heart beating faster.

"I think you will learn that I am always right." Thomas put his finger to her lips before she could protest. "Either way, you need to alter your course. The one you have chosen will bring you nothing but heartache. For you and for Jarod."

Parker eyed Thomas. "I don't make wrong decisions. I survive. And the only way to survive the Centre's wrath is to run. Jarod would understand that."

"Jarod would do anything for you. But decisions can be made and then broken. Just remember that family can tear people apart." Thomas looked sympathetically at Parker.

"I know my family has hurt Jarod. He doesn't hold that against me." Parker retorted her anger flaring.

"It isn't your family I was speaking of. They have already done their damage." Thomas answered back. "Just remember family is new territory for Jarod. He'll be stretched very far in the near future."

Thomas' body was becoming fuzzy. He was disappearing before her eyes. "Tommy wait. Don't go."

"Trust your inner sense." Thomas said before he disappeared completely.

"You've been hanging around my mother haven't you?" Parker said to herself. "What am I saying? I am going nuts – dead people talking to dead people. Yeah right. I've got to be on some really good drugs." Suddenly Parker felt like she was being pulled away. The greenery disappeared and Parker opened her eyes to find she was in the cold white hospital room at Angel's Hope. Dr. Berez was standing next to her.

"Miss Parker, good you're awake. I was getting a little worried." Dr. Berez picked up her wrist to verify for herself that her patient was fine.

"I was just having an argument." Parker said before she realized what she was relating.

"An argument?" Dr. Berez asked looking at Parker strangely.

"It was a dream, just forget about it. How's things on the measles front?" Parker asked sitting up.

"False alarm. None of the children were infected. You can go back to your own room now if you'd like. All the monitors say that you are contraction free. But take it easy. We don't want another episode like before." Dr. Berez warned.

"No stress. I just have to evacuate the entire facility." Berez gave her a scowl. "All right. I'll let Jarod do most of the work. I'll just supervise." Parker put on her most innocent face.

"You better. If I hear that you are endangering yourself or the babies, Dr. Stedman has given me permission to keep you on bed rest indefinitely." Berez folded her arms.

"Fine." Parker said as she folded her arms also. Then Berez's words hit her. "Babies? Did you say babies?"

Berez smiled. "Yes. The ultrasound shows that there are two Miss Parker. You are having twins."

"Twins." Parker felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach. The dream..."What does this mean?"

"It means you follow my orders, take it easy, and we'll monitor you closely." Berez moved to leave the room.

"Fine." Parker agreed again with disdain. "Now just send in one of those pill pushers so I can get my clothes and get out of here."

"Miss Parker, please do not refer to my nursing staff as pill pushers." Berez was miffed. "If you're not careful, one of them might slip you a mickey and then where would you be. They are a great staff – don't abuse them!"

"Sure." Parker said through grated teeth. "Can you please send in someone with my clothes so I can get the hell out of here? Better?"

"Much. Have a good day Miss Parker." Berez said as she left the room.

Parker stood there waiting for her clothes, wishing she had a cigarette. "Good day – yeah. When I get the hell out of this place." Parker paced, knowing that it would take forever to get her clothes, find Jarod to tell him the news, and start the evacuation.

_A storm is blowing Parker. You have to let it roll away or you are going to end up running from it for the rest of your life._ Parker could hear Thomas again. _Decisions can be made and then broken. _Parker wondered if she had really been speaking to Tommy or was it just wishful thinking.

_Trust your inner sense. _Parker heard again, though this time it wasn't Tommy. It was her mother.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bobby felt the coldness of the sheets below his body. At least they had decided to place him in the bed this time verses just throwing him on top of it. The combination of drugs they had used on him to stop him from going after Debbie Broots had left a pounding headache in their wake.

As his eyes fluttered open, Bobby was struck with the bright lights of his prison cell. He refused to call it a room. Though he hated to admit it, Boy Genius had been right. It was a prison disguised as a clinical cold room. Bobby looked around wondering just how long he had been out this time and where had they taken Debbie Broots.

Her screams had terrified him like nothing had ever in his life, other than Lily dying in his arms. She had done that to him. Opened him up to his emotions. Lily. The light to his darkness. The savior from his barren existence. Lily had opened him up to his humanity again. When she had died in his arms, he wished he had died too. Then to see her alive and breathing again – exultation, joy….pain, fear. Nothing had struck him to the core like the knowledge that she might never wake up. Because of his past, what he had done…his father.

Debbie needed his help now. The raw emotions would have to be pushed aside. Bobby had to find a way out of this room.

"I'm glad you're finally awake." A voice came from the corner of the room.

Bobby sat himself up and swung around to find Sydney sitting in the corner of the room. "What are you doing here?" Bobby growled.

Sydney pulled a hypodermic needle from his pocket. "Waking you up." He took the needle and safely tucked it back into his pocket again.

"Why?" Bobby was in no mood to play games. His gruffness toward Sydney couldn't only show the aged psychiatrist that he had no time for his games.

"Because Debbie Broots needs your help. And I can't find Angelo. So that leaves me my only alternative – you. Raines is torturing her and I can't get anywhere near her to stop him. I need your expertise." The distaste Sydney had for Lyle was shown equally.

Bobby looked straight into Sydney's eyes. "Why should I help you?"

"You're not helping me." Sydney rebuttaled. "You're helping Debbie. I know you wanted to help her. The whole reason you were unconscious is because it took five Sweepers to keep you from her room. Will you help me?" Sydney looked pleadingly at Lyle.

"He will help you." Came a voice from behind the two men.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

2:00 p.m.

Lily had just checked the equipment placement on the planes and had distributed her little gift to the troops. Her somber mood showed in the rigid strut she had going down the hall. Lily looked up to see Ronnie coming up the hall.

"Hey Boss." Ronnie fell right into step next to Lily. "All weapons have been inspected and stored on the planes. Infrared glasses have been distributed. Everyone is presently getting into their protection suits. That just leaves you getting ready to go."

Lily pulled a bracelet out of her pocket. "This is for you."

Ronnie took the bracelet and read it. "My bracelet from NuGenesis." A lump formed in Ronnie's throat. Stedman had given her sessions where she started to remember her past. She had thought it was a good idea so that she could protect Lily better. The whole team had. Now it felt like the memories were ramming into her. "Where did you get this?"

"Archives from our past. Do you remember it?" Lily noticed that Ronnie's color had paled a little. "You remember, don't you?"

Ronnie straightened up. "Yes." Ronnie looked up to face Lily straight on. "We all do. We didn't want you to go through this alone." With a little smirk, Ronnie added. "Stedman wasn't too pleased, but in the end she agreed with us."

"How many have their memories back?" Lily asked astounded that Joan would allow this.

Ronnie stopped short. "We all do Lily. Every last one heading out today."

Lily thought her mouth had actually dropped to the floor. "Why would she…"

"Because fighting for a belief is one thing, fighting the atrocities done to you is another. Everyone leaves here now with the same purpose you do Lily. To stop these bastards." Ronnie placed her hand on Lily's shoulder as a sign of solidarity.

Lily placed her hand on Ronnie's shoulder as well. "Have I ever told you that you are the best first officer anyone could have?"

"Not enough. After all this is over, I expect to hear it at least three or four times a week." Ronnie resumed her walk. "And a raise would be nice. Maybe a villa by the ocean." Ronnie was looking forward and smiling.

Lily smirked. "Maybe the Centre has some ocean front property. Could be feasible." She kept a straight face as Ronnie looked at her and laughed. Then Lily became serious again. "You'll watch over my family for me?"

Ronnie's smile faded. "I don't like being left behind."

"I know. But if it's one person I know will protect my family with their life, it's you." Lily approached the elevator and hit the button.

"Then why did you ask me?" Ronnie asked as she came to stand next to Lily.

"Because I knew you didn't want to stay. But I need to know that you are a hundred percent behind this decision." Lily needed to know that Jarod, her parents, and siblings would be safe.

"I want to know one thing." Ronnie asked seriously.

"What?" Lily asked intrigued.

"Why the charade? I've watched you with Jarod, your family. You've kept everyone at a distance from you. Almost to the point of alienation. I know you've wanted to know who your family was your whole life. So why the cold shoulder?" Ronnie studied Lily's face for an honest answer.

"It's complicated." Lily started hesitantly. "To keep them safe. They need Jarod here to protect them. They need him, want him…" Sadness filled Lily as she skirted around the question. "To make the plan work. To…"

"And they wouldn't want you?" Ronnie watched Lily's face fall. "Wouldn't want you. Is that it?"

"They've been looking for Jarod thirty some odd years Ronnie. They're proud of him, of what he has done." Lily retorted angry.

Ronnie shook her head. "You don't think you're good enough for them, do you?" Ronnie asked quietly.

Lily stopped short and looked into Ronnie's eyes. Right then Ronnie knew she was right. "I have done too many things in my life to add a family at this point. Jarod can give them love and security." Lily looked away from Ronnie. "They could be proud of him." Lily cut Ronnie off before she could speak. "But they are still my family and I need you to protect them Ronnie. Please."

"Jarod is no better than you are. They should be honored to have you as part of their family." Ronnie made her oath. "I will not let Jarod out of my sight. I will protect him as if he were you. And Alpha Team will die protecting your family. My word of honor."

"That's all I can ask. Thank you." Lily let out a breath of relief. "Has Parker been given the news yet?'

The elevator doors opened and the two women got on. "She left the Infirmary and had just gone to look for Jarod as I came to see you. I will deliver the message as soon as I am through here."

Lily straightened into her military stance. "Good. Give the order Ronnie. The minute they head for the morgue, we are a go. I want the planes loaded and in the air."

"Yes Sir. As you command." The elevator doors opened. Ronnie started to exit, but turned to look at Lily before she completely disembarked the elevator. "Good luck Lily."

"You too. Don't let Parker give you grief." Lily smirked.

"Oh yeah, like that's ever going to happen. I think you have the better end of this deal. I think I rather face that madman than stay here with Attila the Mom." Ronnie smirked as well.

"Just protect that Mom – she's carrying my niece or nephew." Lily ordered.

"Yes mon fearless leader." Ronnie stepped away from the elevator doors and let them start to close. " I will guard the saber tooth contessa as ordered."

"Ronnie." Lily yelled as the elevator doors snapped shut. "That woman is incorrigible." Lily smiled – that's why she liked her so. When the elevator stopped, she was left off at the training room level. Lily made her way to her personal lockers and opened her mission locker. Her protective gear was stored here – special made bulletproof jumpsuit, infrared glasses, and her communication piece.

Stripping off her clothes, she pulled herself into the skintight black jumpsuit. After fastening the front, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She didn't need her hair in her face when the action started. Lily could feel the spot where the butchers had shaved her hair. It helped fuel her anger.

She tucked the glasses into her pocket and placed the comm piece into her ear. She pulled the transmitter box out and placed it into its designated pocket. The earpiece was cordless and made for better movement.

Lily then pulled out her slim boots and slipped them on. Next came her black leather gloves, which she slipped on with ease. She turned and spotted her image in the mirror at the end of the lockers. She approached it mentally commenting to herself that she looked like a sleek black panther striding toward prey. And Raines was that prey.

The comm line crackled. Lily could hear Ronnie's approached to Jarod and Parker. "Delta, Beta, and Omega teams. We are a go. Lily out." Lily headed for the door. "I'm coming you son of a bitch. And only one of us is walking away this time."

Ronnie approached Parker and Jarod. "Miss Parker. I have something I think you may want to see."

Parker exhaled sharply. "I have just spent hours in the room from hell. What do you want?"

"Parker." Jarod warned. "No stress."

Ronnie motioned for Jarod and Parker to follow her. "I believe you may rethink your sarcasm once you see what I have to show you." Ronnie started to walk away without saying another word. Jarod shrugged and started to follow. Parker huffed again and strutted in pursuit. Ronnie smiled the minute she heard the click of Parkers heels.

The elevator took them to SL 26. Ronnie hadn't said a word and Jarod had done nothing but give her strange looks.

"Have you seen my sister Veronica?" Jarod asked trying to break the silence.

"Yes." Ronnie replied without embellishing further. "Here." Ronnie said as she motioned to the door that read morgue.

"The morgue. You brought us to the morgue?" Parker hissed.

Ronnie handed Parker a folded report. "Lily thought you should know." She opened the door for Parker.

Parker unfolded the sheet of paper and read it while she proceeded through the door.

"Ronnie. I don't think this is the best place for Parker to be right now. She is supposed to be resting." Jarod looked up to see Parker running toward the bank of cooler lockers that would hold deceased bodies. "Parker, what's wrong?" He ran after her with Ronnie slowly bringing up the rear.

Parker reached the doors and started searching for a number on the doors. "Fifteen...fifteen. Here." Parker yanked the door open and stood there.

"Parker. What is it?" Jarod asked peering into the slot where a body laid covered.

"I always knew..." Parker could barely be heard. She pulled the tray out with shaking hands. She went to pull the sheet off when Jarod's hand stopped her.

"Who is under this sheet Parker?" Jarod asked exasperated.

Parker pulled her hand away and inadvertently pulled the sheet away. "Daddy." She whispered.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the end there can be just one.

That's what the movies say.

The Game is churning and spinning.

Which Players will be left when the world stops?


	91. Catch A Tiger By It’s Tail

In the end there can be just one.

That's what the movies say.

The Game is churning and spinning.

Which Players will be left when the world stops?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Parker. What is it?" Jarod asked peering into the slot where a body laid covered.

"I always knew..." Parker could barely be heard. She pulled the tray out with shaking hands. She went to pull the sheet off when Jarod's hand stopped her.

"Who is under this sheet Parker?" Jarod asked exasperated.

Parker pulled her hand away and inadvertently pulled the sheet away. "Daddy." She whispered.

Jarod immediately put his arms around her for support. "I'm sorry Parker. Are you all right?"

"I just knew, I always just knew. I just didn't want to admit it." Parker said as she leaned back into Jarod's chest. She felt safe in Jarod's arms.

"I'm sorry for your loss Miss Parker." Ronnie said formally.

"Sorry my ass." The wheels had started turning in Parker's mind. "Why did you bring us here? Why show me this now?" Parker looked at the report that was crumpled in her now clenched hands. "If Lily wanted me to know this information so bad, why didn't she tell me herself?"

"Parker, you're upset. I'm sure Lily has her reasons for not telling you herself." Jarod looked over to where Ronnie had deposited herself next to the slab. "But I do have to agree with Parker and question why we are being told this now." Both Jarod and Parker glared at Ronnie.

"Your sister will tell you herself." Ronnie pulled a comm device from her pocket and handed it to Parker and Jarod.

Jarod noticed for the first time that Ronnie had a comm device already in her ear. He quickly placed the device on his ear. He knew the model. It was a device used by Ops agents so that there was no need for a microphone. It was built into the piece itself. Parker placed hers in as well. "Lily?" Jarod asked as a feeling of dread started to come over him. "Where are you?"

Lily had made it to the steps of the plane by the time Jarod had received his comm piece. She watched as the other planes taxied off the runway, clutching a box to her chest. "Where I should be Jarod." Lily stated flatly as she felt her heart beat against the hard box clasped against her chest.

Becky, already on the plane, heard the discussion start. She quickly typed a message into her instant messenger and then closed it. Then she accessed Angel's Hope's intercom system. She hacked into the main system, isolating the children's wing, and started broadcasting the conversation between Lily and Jarod.

Jarod looked around the room as if he would see Lily hiding somewhere or a camera watching him. "Very cryptic Lily. Where are you exactly physically?"

"Games Lily?" Parker asked. "I don't think your little show here is amusing. How could you keep this from me all this time? What are you up to?" Parker scanned the room as well certain that Lily would be watching from a secure location.

"I didn't keep it from you." Lily said as she ascended the stairs. "Joan did. I thought you should know, before you leave. Before the possibility that Mr. Parker's body could be taken by the Centre and disappear forever. You had the right to have closure. Something you didn't get with your Mother's death."

Parker took a quick intake of breath. "Why now Lily?" she whispered.

Jarod had been listening to the background noise during Parker and Lily's conversation. He heard wind. He heard outside noises. And then the last piece of the puzzle fit into place and he looked at Ronnie. "No!" Jarod ran for the door with Ronnie following him.

Parker stood shocked for a moment and then followed in pursuit. "What is going on Jarod?"

He reached the elevator and pushed the button, pacing in small circles in front of the elevator. "You can't do this Lily." He spoke furiously into the microphone. "It will be suicide."

Parker reached the elevator right after Ronnie. As she heard Jarod's words, she realized she had been so thrown by seeing her father's body that she had neglected the obvious. "A diversion." Jarod's nod confirmed her suspicions.

The plane door closed and clicked into place. Lily took her seat next to Becky and buckled in. "There is nothing you can do now Jarod. Get Parker, Margaret, Charles, Emily and Thomas to safety."

Jarod banged on the elevator door with his fist. "I wouldn't have to get them to safety if you were sure you were going to succeed. Are you on a plane? Turn that thing around now!" Jarod demanded. The elevator doors opened and standing in the elevator was another member of the Alpha Team, Joel. Jarod remembered him from the Los Angeles mission. "Another member of your team Lily? Why did you leave your team behind?"

Lily took a deep breath. "I told you that Parker was in charge of Alpha Team now. Listen to Ronnie, she is the best." Lily could hear everyone piling into the elevator. "It's no use Jarod. We're already in the air. Just get everyone out of there. If all goes as planned, we'll be able to go back soon."

Jarod slammed his back against the elevator wall. "Margaret….Charles….everyone….when did we all become names Lily? We're your family! Brother, Mother, Father, Sister, don't do this. We'll find another way."

Lily looked down at the box on her lap. "There is no other way Jarod." Tears stung Lily's eyes. "It's my destiny. At least that's what the scrolls say." Lily's stomach felt like it was flipping around. The evil she felt between her hands made her want to cringe. "He's inside me Jarod. I can hear him – calling me. The dark part of me. Chip, no chip, I can still hear his instructions, his training. You know I'm right Jarod. It's the same thing that Kyle couldn't get away from. It's a part of who we are."

"The scrolls didn't say you were supposed to go Lily. It's me they have been looking for all these years. I'm the one who was supposed to be the Chosen One. The key to everything. I read the Centre reports just like you. Come back and we will do this together." Jarod pleaded.

Parker shook her head adimantly. "No one is going anywhere. Lily, turn that plane around now!" Parker ordered. "Or you're going to force me to get Stedman."

The elevator doors opened on SL 4. Dr. Stedman, Margaret, Charles, Emily, and Thomas stood in front of the opening.

"I already know Melissa. She has my blessings." Stedman said stoically.

Now Margaret gasped as she realized that there would be no stopping what she had heard come over the PA system. "You let her go?" Margaret felt the sting of tears in her eyes. "You let my baby go?"

Lily cringed on the plane. "I want you all to hear me." Lily started. "This isn't a rash decision, it is based on need. I can't…" Lily hesitated. "I won't let another child be destroyed or hurt by the Centre. This is my time, my duty….my honor." Lily knew the rest of the planes could hear what was being said.

"I address you my fellow survivors, my fellow comrades, my fellow friends. We march from the only place any of us has called home. In the coming hours, we will be called upon to battle the evil that has permeated society for over fifty years. A demon so sinister that even the devil himself would not want him in Hell. I say to you now. If any of you objects to our mission course, objects to being involved in this campaign, then say so now. When we land in Baltimore, you are free to return to Angel's Hope and accompany Alpha Team to a safe sanctuary. No repercussions, no one will think less of your military commitment or courage. Say now if you wish to follow this course." Lily held her breath waiting to see what the response of her teams was.

Jarod leaned up against the elevator wall, leaning his head back to hit the cool paneling. The deafening silence gave him his answer. No one was going to object to what Lily was doing. No one was going to tell her she was wrong. No one was going to stop this insanity. "Please don't go Lily. Don't throw your life away." Jarod pleaded.

"Please don't go." Margaret whispered as she leaned against her husband for support.

"I love you." Lily said as Becky closed the comm line. She dropped her head into her hands that were positioned on top of the box.

"You did well." Ethan said, sitting to her left and patting what knee he could find under the box.

"What you had to. What we have to." Broots added from the other side.

Sydney and Bobby turned to see Angelo behind the grate to Bobby's air duct. "Angelo. Get out of here. Those ducts are sensored." Bobby said trying to stand.

"Turned off." Angelo replied with his childish grin that he got when he was up to something. But that grin held something further in it. "Debbie being hurt. We have to get her. Get out."

Sydney looked around at the cameras. "Angelo, you'll be spotted by the cameras. Go!"

Angelo smiled again. "Jarod had a toy that made them crazy. Angelo made one of them…couple of them…" He looked down at his hands and then looked up. "Wanted to help Lily, Sister, Debbie, Bobby."

"Jarod put the security system on a loop feed before. He couldn't have actually constructed a…" Bobby looked questioningly at Sydney.

"You would be surprised Lyle what Angelo can do. I wouldn't put it past him if he got his hands on one that Jarod left behind." Sydney smiled as he went over to the grate. Sydney yanked on it trying to dislodge it. After a few minutes, the grate was in Sydney's hands and he was motioning for Lyle to climb up.

Bobby grabbed a chair and hoped into the vent. Just as Bobby cleared his legs, Sydney put the grate back. "Sydney, what are you doing?"

"It will look less suspicious if I leave through the door. It may buy the two of you some time. Go!" Sydney motioned with his head and then turned toward the door. He looked back with a quick look before opening the door. "Good luck." And then he was gone through the door.

"Yeah, we're going to need it." Bobby mumbled.

"Don't need luck. Sister coming." Angelo smiled. He put his hand on Bobby's arm. "Lily coming."

Bobby looked disbelievingly at Angelo. "Angelo. Lily is long gone. It's just you and me." He wanted to believe what he was saying, though his gut told him otherwise. Or was that his Inner Sense.

Angelo fervently shook his head. "She's coming – soon." Angelo started crawling up the vent. "And is she mad." He added as he turned a corner.

"How could you?" Jarod yelled. "How could you let her go? It's a suicide trip." He pushed himself forcefully out of the elevator. "Why didn't you stop her?" He bellowed at Stedman the pain he was feeling evident in his eyes. "Why didn't you let me go with her?"

"Because if we had told you, you would have tried to stop her." Ronnie rebutted from the elevator, stepping into the hallway. "She gave you her faith blindly and instead of supporting her, trusting her, you treated her like she was insane. Not the intelligent leader that she is. She thinks with her mind as well as her heart."

Parker came to stand next to Jarod. "There is no room for heart at the Centre. Raines will chew her up and spit her out."

Ronnie coolly turned to Parker. "Maybe that has been the problem with the place all this time." Ronnie pulled her sleeve up to show her bracelet. She shoved it in Parker's face. Revealing the NuGenesis logo. "Five years in this place. Put with parents who weren't fit to take care of a dog, let alone a child." Ronnie pulled her arm back and pulled down her sleeve. "With a father so depraved," Ronnie hesitated as the memories flooded her. She mimicked the man she loathed with every fiber of her being. "Don't tell. Don't ever tell. This will be our little secret."

Jarod looked into Ronnie's eyes and saw the pain of a molested child. Not just a molested child, a child who then had endured the misery of Centre influences. "I'm sorry Ronnie." Jarod went to put his hand on her shoulder, but Ronnie jerked away.

Joel came out and stood next to Ronnie. He too revealed a bracelet. His said SL-27. "Five broken ribs, multiple finger fractures, a cracked skull, broken leg, should I go on. Our adoptive parents weren't saints. And then there was SL-27." Joel shivered.

"We support her. Now, forever." Ronnie declared. She and Joel took their earpieces out and turned them off. "However," Ronnie began, "Becky and the rest of the team agrees that she needs the support of her family." Ronnie scanned over the O'Connor's and then came to stand in front of Jarod. "Of her brother. The one family member who is as much a part of our survivors group as any one of us. We offer you this choice. Leave for your safe house _or_ you can follow Lily. We have the means at our disposal to follow the other planes, but only if you go in support. Not to stop her. Make your choice."

Stedman stepped into the mix. "Ronnie, what are you talking about?"

Ronnie looked at Stedman. "A contingency that Becky set up Dr. Stedman. She knew that Lily needed to have Jarod on her side."

Before Stedman could respond, Jarod jumped in. "I'll go."

"No!" Parker and Charles answered in return.

Jarod turned to Parker and pulled her into an embrace. "I've fought so hard to free you. All these years. I can't overlook a turning point when it is staring me in the face." Parker's eyes teared. Jarod hugged her. "I love you." He let go of her and headed onto the elevator. "Get everyone to safety Parker."

Parker grabbed Jarod's arm and pulled him around. "You can't do this. Not now. You're not going to leave me alone too."

"I won't leave you alone. But I have to do this. I can't leave her to handle this alone. You know that. Dr. Stedman let me read your Mother's notes. If it's true, and I'm not saying I believe it, then the prophecy says that Gemini's, plural, will defeat the Centre. Besides the fact that I can't leave my sister to face Raines alone. I _won't_ leave her alone." Jarod hoped Parker could understand why he was doing this.

"Then I'm coming with you." Parker stated flatly. "No one knows the Centre defenses better than me."

Jarod took Parker's face in his hands. "No. Get yourself, the family, and the baby to safety."

Parker got that Ice Princess look. "I'm going Boy Genius and that's the end. You go, I go. End of subject."

"Parker." Jarod growled.

Parker smiled. "I love you too. Come on, she's got a head start on us." Parker grabbed Jarod's arm and tugged.

"Parker, you shouldn't be going. The baby. No stress." Jarod tried arguing back.

Parker stopped and looked into the beautiful chestnut eyes that showed so much emotion in them. "I would be more stressed being apart from you. Holed up trying to figure out what was happening. Plus, it's my right to be there. A Parker started the Centre and a Parker should be the one to help bring it down. My mother is dead, the only father I have ever known is dead. I have nothing left to tie me there, Jarod. I want to see the madness stopped."

Jarod's sorrowful face reflected his inner pain, as well as hers. "I guess Lily has a reason for doing everything she's done." Jarod ran his fingertips down her cheek. "She knew seeing your father would add the last nail of closure. You go, you do everything I tell you to."

"Yeah right. Come on. We're wasting valuable time." Parker said tugging Jarod.

"Jarod!" Margaret yelled to her son. "Be careful, stay safe." She grinned a sad, haunted smile. "I love you and don't forget to use your Inner Sense."

Parker and Jarod stopped in their tracks. "We will rely on Parker's Inner Sense."

"Not just hers." Margaret moved away from her husband. "You too. I felt it in you. While we were apart. It will serve you both well, like it did me."

"I have an Inner Sense like Parker? But that was her mother's gift." Jarod retorted.

"It is also mine." Margaret continued. "Why do you think Catherine and I were such good friends." She smiled and placed her hand lovingly on Jarod's face. "We'll talk when you get back. Go. Help your sister. God's speed."

Jarod allowed Parker to pull him away. He was still in shock over what his mother had told him. But it had made sense. He could always feel her with him. When he had had trouble remembering what his father looked like, once he had the picture of his mother it had always seemed like he was connected to her. Dreamed about her. Saw her face. Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place as Ronnie and Joel joined Jarod on the elevator and it took off.

The elevator unloaded onto the main floor and Ronnie took the lead. Parker and Jarod followed her out to the airstrip. Sitting on the strip was one lone plane. Captain Marcus stood in the doorway. The group climbed the stairs to the waiting plane.

"Have you gotten word from the other planes yet?" Ronnie asked as she past Marcus.

"Yes, I have been communicating with Becky on my laptop. She doesn't suspect that we will be following." He reported.

"Good." Ronnie replied as she stepped aside for Jarod and Parker to board.

"If everyone could please take a seat, I'll get us in the air. If it were all the same to you, I'd like to get up in the air so I can catch up with the love of my life. Who insanely put herself on one of Lily's planes." Marcus was trying to mask his nervousness with humor.

"You and Becky?" Parker started to ask. "So she does have some fire inside her."

Marcus frowned.

"Parker." Jarod gave that warning look to her.

Parker threw her hands up and took a seat. "No offense." Parker retorted. "Just an observation."

Marcus made sure they were all buckled and then went to the cockpit. In a few minutes they were up in the air. Ronnie put her earpiece back on, as did Joel. She waited for the time when Lily would come back online. When she found out what they had done, she knew her boss was going to blow a gasket. At least she was on this plane, Ronnie thought. Becky's going to get it full force. Ronnie sat back and waited for the inevitable.

Bobby crawled after Angelo, not knowing where they were going. But as they past more and more tunnels, Bobby started to see small mounds of substance stuck to the walls periodically through the tunnels. He stopped to examine one mound. "Angelo, what is this?"

Angelo turned around and grinned. "Going to help Lily. Help Debbie. Help the other children."

Bobby's face went white. "Angelo. Is this explosive?" But he already knew the answer. He had handled enough of it to know he was right.

"Have to stop Raines. Destroy everything. Save the children." Angelo had a look of bewilderment like he didn't understand why Bobby would be upset.

Bobby started to push himself against the far wall. "You're going to get us killed man."

Angelo pulled out a detonator remote control. "Not going to go off till we say so." He jiggled the box as if it were a box of Cracker Jacks.

"Give me that." Bobby said as he grabbed the device. "This is not a toy."

"No." Angelo said as his smile faded. "It is a means."

Bobby looked bewildered for a moment. "A means?" Bobby thought for a moment, then he understood. "To an end." Angelo nodded. "Fine. Let's get going. We have to find Debbie."

"This way." And Angelo was once again scurrying off down the shaft.

Lily had been listening to the banter on the headsets. Team leaders reporting in, idle chat amongst the men and women.

Becky watched Lily as intently as she could without her realizing what she was doing. Ethan and Broots had both tried to talk to her, but Lily had put an emotional distance between them all. It was how she worked, how she functioned. A logical analysis of everything before acting. Becky had once equated this to a computer hard drive running its programs. That's how Lily was with her simulations. And right now she could see that Lily's mind was running every possible scenario that could happen. All but one. One that she had devised.

The computer on Becky's lap gave a little bleep. She looked down. They were approaching Blue Cove. It was time for Lily to know. Becky looked up to see Lily arguing with Mr. Broots.

"I don't know how you talked me into this." Lily was going on. "Do you have the slightest idea what it is going to be like at the Centre. I agreed to let you go with us when Ethan brought your request to me that you be there when Debbie was released. But to actually think you are going in with the assault team. I don't think so."

"I have the right to go in there and get my daughter. It's my fault she is in this mess in the first place. I should have quit working for the Centre years ago." Broots retaliated, furious that Lily was going to leave him behind at the airfield.

"You would have been killed if you tried." Ethan said plainly. "You knew too much. Worked on Parker's team for too long. You would have been a security liability. Can't picture Mr. Raines just letting you walk right out the front door."

Broots thought for a moment. "OK. So maybe they wouldn't have let me go, or they would have erased my memory, or something like that." Lily winced at the mention of having your memory erased. "But the bottom line is that that's my daughter in there and your whole army isn't going to stop me from going in there and getting her. I'm her Father, that's my job."

Lily looked at him with haunted eyes. "And how much of a father are you going to be to her if you're dead?"

Normally that would have stopped Broots in his tracks, but not when Debbie was involved. "Then I'll just have to make sure that I don't die. Won't I?"

Lily smirked. "You put up a good front Mr. Broots. But I've read your files. You can't even hold a gun."

"Give me one and see how well I hold it now that Debbie is in danger." Broots challenged.

Lily let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. You get in my way and I swear I will take you down personally. Understood?"

"Understood." Broots replied.

"Lily?" Becky said as she knew she really didn't want to tell her now.

"Yes." Lily responded as she swung herself around.

"This may not be the best time to tell you this. And hopefully you won't throw me off the plane while we're still in the air. And maybe you'll remember that I'm your sister and you love me more than life itself…" Becky was rambling.

"What is it?" Lily said in a harsh voice that made Becky cringe.

Becky hit the keys on the computer that opened up Jarod and Parkers comm devices to those on the planes. "I brought reinforcements."

"Reinforcements?" Lily asked to only hear the one voice she didn't want to hear.

"Thank God, she finally opened up the airways." Parker retorted in her normal charm. "I was beginning to think I was becoming deaf." Parker spit out.

"Parker." Jarod growled. Then he brought his attention back to the matter at hand. "Lily. How could you do this?"

"Jarod?" Lily asked stopping as if she were a deer in headlights. Her focused, angered eyes fell on Becky. "Jarod." She said as she moved toward her sister. "Where are you?"

"In a plane, about a half-hour behind you." Jarod answered not knowing that Lily was slowly making her way towards Becky and she didn't look happy.

"You were supposed to be heading to the safe house." Lily almost reached Becky as Ethan jumped in between the two women. "What the hell are you doing on a plane behind me!" Lily bellowed trying to reach Becky.

"Lily don't!" Ethan yelled pushing Lily back from Becky. Broots ran around the other side of Lily to put himself as well between the irate woman and the object of her wrath.

"What's going on?" Bellowed Jarod over the intercom.

"Lily's having a little melt down. No biggie big brother." Ethan said the last two words directly into Lily's face.

"Ugh." Lily pushed off Ethan. "It doesn't matter anyway. We'll be there first and I'm not waiting for you Jarod."

"You need him." Becky said sullenly. "He needs you. Don't shut him out."

Lily turned slightly to Becky. "I decide who lives or dies. And today it's not him."

"Hello. I'm right here." Jarod said. "Lily. Wait for me."

"No." Lily said as she buckled herself in to land.

In the Centre, every alarm was ringing like crazy. "What's happening?" Raines wheezed as he dragged his air tank into the Security Room.

"Unauthorized aircraft landing on the airstrip." The tense man looked up at Raines. "Several unauthorized planes and one more on it's way."

Raines felt something he hadn't his whole life - fear. "Lily." He whispered.

Lily walked off the plane with Becky and Broots following her. "Get me into their communication system." She ordered. Broots had already been hacking into the Centre's systems on the flight over. All he had to do was type in the access password.

"Go ahead Lily." Broots said.

Lily's teams started to fan over the Centre. Lily nodded her head toward Becky and she hit her computer keys. The music from _Invincible by_ Pat Benetar started to play. Lily always liked Ms. Benetar; the music spoke to her sole.

Lily took her time walking the perimeter, listening to the words. _We can't afford to be innocent,  
stand up and face the enemy, it's a do or die situation, we will be invincible…_

She knew where she wanted to go. She was entering the Centre through the front door. The one place she was never allowed to enter_. We're gonna scream until we're satisfied. What are we running for? We've got the right to be angry, what are we running for, when there's nowhere we can run to anymore…_

_  
_Finally she stood in front of the doors. Centre personnel fanned the inside lobby. _We can't afford to be innocent, stand up and face the enemy, it's a do or die situation, we will be invincible…_

She started climbing the steps and her feet hit the cement as if she was keeping beat to the music. As the words poured over the Centre, Lily came to stand on the top step. She cranked her neck to the side and surveyed the massive structure that was the Centre. Intently looking through the front doors, Lily spoke straight to her tormentor. "Dr. Raines. I'm home."

And simultaneously, every Centre station, outpost, substation was raided by government and Angel Hope personnel.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The showdown has started.

The Players are set.

The Game is afoot.

Will death be far behind?


	92. Assault by Deadly Weapon

The showdown has started.

The Players are set.

The Game is afoot.

Will death be far behind?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She started climbing the steps and her feet hit the cement as if she was keeping beat to the music. As the words poured over the Centre, Lily came to stand on the top step. She cranked her neck to the side and surveyed the massive structure that was the Centre. Intently looking through the front doors, Lily spoke straight to her tormentor. "Dr. Raines. I'm home."

And simultaneously, every Centre station, outpost, substation was raided by government and Angel's Hope personnel. The outlining areas were in chaos. Centre personnel were either running or taking shots at the Federal Agents swarming the facilities. The information Jarod had planted had worked its way through the system so that the Feds had all the information they needed to bury the Centre. But at the main branch, Raines was having to deal with his own Armageddon.

"I want this facility secured!" Raines yelled. "How did they breach air space without us detecting them prior to landing?" He bellowed for really the first time in years. The emphysema that had plagued him these last years did nothing to parlay the anger in his voice. The Centre personnel cringed.

"I think that is your answer Sir." One of the technicians said as he pointed to the monitor. Coming up the steps behind Lily was Broots. Carrying a portable laptop and typing as he was walking.

"What is he still doing alive!" He bellowed again to no one in particular. But Willie was by his side before another word could be said. Sam came up right behind Willie.

"The people responsible for this have been neutralized. I can do my best to make sure he gets taken out now." Willie drew his weapon.

"See to it Willie." Was all Raines said as he glared at the monitor. Willie left with Sam right behind him.

Raines observed Lily on the monitor. With whatever she was planning, he had to stall her. Reinforcements would be coming soon. He knew what he had to do, work her weaknesses. "Lily. You have by far exceeded my expectations. Survival, manipulation, covert operations. Very impressive. You even got one of my own people to come over to your side."

Lily took a long look up and down the front of the Centre facade. "Wasn't difficult." Lily started, her voice low and harbored a hint of hatred. "You are holding his beautiful daughter. Another acquisition I intend to acquire." She turned and started down the steps again.

Raines stared at the monitor. "Where is she going?" His goading hadn't worked. He had wanted to get her upset, so that she would react with emotion not logic.

Slowly, Lily continued to the bottom of the stairs. Her team met her there. She nodded, the team acknowledging that they understood what she wanted. Two broke off and retrieved a large box.

Lily slowly turned toward the cameras that she knew were trained on her. "I am giving you one chance to stop this Dr. Raines. Come out. Give yourself up. Surrender to the authorities." Her intense eyes focused on the Centre, her face rigid. "Confess to your crimes." She accentuated every word, letting them drip with her barely controlled anger.

It had never happened before in her life, probably never would again, but she heard Raines actually laugh over the intercom. "Fine." She spit out. "Have it your way."

Lily pulled her glasses out, her special infrared ones, and placed them on her face. The rest of the team did the same. Lily had to chuckle to herself. They all looked like the mafia or the Men in Black. But their outfits were cooler. Becky did know her fashion.

Max crouched next to the long black box and opened it with a smile. Lily walked up to the box and smiled. She had hoped Raines wouldn't cooperate. Had prayed. She wanted this, she could taste it. Revenge - in corporeal form. Lily knelt and lifted the sleek, black cylinder. "You are going to curse the day you didn't heed my words." Lily stood and positioned the missile launcher on her shoulder. With a grin, Max locked and loaded.

Ronnie swung her computer around. "I have the surveillance running through a feed from Mr. Broots. I think we have a problem I didn't bank on."

Jarod came over to the laptop and studied the scene that was unfolding. Parker came and stood behind him. "Is that what I think it is?" Jarod had been listening to Lily and Raines' conversation, but he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Like hell is she blowing up my Centre." Parker was furious. "Lily. Put that thing down right this moment! Don't you blow up my building!" Parker screamed.

Ronnie and Jarod both looked at her with shocked faces. "Your building?" They both said together.

Jarod gave Parker a puzzled look. "Your building. You care if Lily blows up the Centre?"

"Whose side are you on?" Ronnie snapped confused. Parker and Jarod turned toward her. "Well? I personally would like to see it blown into a million pieces. I just think Lily might get hurt in the process."

Before Parker or Jarod could respond, Lily's voice came over the comm. "Don't worry Parker. I'll just make a little hole."

Parker threw herself in her chair, Marcus announcing that they were approaching the landing field. As she buckled her belt, Parker tried to keep her temper down. She exhaled. "You better Lily. You better."

Raines watched in horror as Lily shouldered the tactile weapon. "Fall back! Fall back! Get the Sweepers away from the front entrance. Have them regroup in the lobby and be ready for their attack. The only ones I want left alive is Lily and Broots. When the carnage is over, bring them to me."

Lily flipped the site piece into place. The launcher had been made just for her and she liked the feel of it on her shoulder. "Boys and girls. I do so love when you make me new toys." Max tapped her shoulder to signal to her it was ready. "Dr. Raines." Lily took a deep breath. "You wanted me back. You got me back. Angel's Hope style." With that, Lily depressed the trigger and sent the missile sailing into the front door of the Centre.

The Centre shook as the missile impacted into the concrete above the front door.

"What the hell was that?" Bobby asked Angelo as the walls of the vent shook so much that it knocked him off his feet.

Angelo steadied himself by putting his hands on the walls. "Lily's here." He smiled a broad grin that lit up his face. "I was right. She's mad."

Bobby looked around, got up, and went over to Angelo. Having to stoop so he didn't knock his head. "What did she do? Hit it with a tank? Mortar?"

Angelo looked up at Bobby. "Missile." Angelo's eyes suddenly went still and he looked as if he were somewhere else. A few moments later, he was back. "Have to go now. Get Debbie. Get out of here." Angelo started to quickly go through the vent.

"Wait a minute. How do you know that?" Bobby started to follow. "I mean minus that Lily is blowing the Centre apart." Bobby found himself imagining Lily, seductively leaning against a tank, running her hand along the long canon... Bobby felt a smack to the back of his head.

Angelo stood beside him, lowering his hand. "That...later. Escape now." He took off again up the vent.

Bobby exhaled slowly. He had it bad. And its name was Lily. "Angelo, wait up." Bobby pushed off the wall and started after Angelo.

They came to the vent that led to Debbie Broots room. Bobby looked in. The child lay on her bed staring at the ceiling.

Angelo pulled a small box out of his pocket and aimed it toward the Security cameras. "Loop."

Bobby acknowledged and then kicked the grate in. He lowered himself down into the room, hoping the guards had not heard the grate go. "Miss Broots." Bobby said as he approached the bed. "Miss Broots. I am a friend of Miss Parkers. She sent me to get you." A little white lie, but Bobby didn't want the young lady to scream. But Debbie wasn't doing anything. "Debbie?" Bobby asked until he got closer and realized she wasn't acknowledging anything. "Oh, no. Not you." Bobby came up to her side and gently picked her up. Escape was going to be harder now. He quickly brought her back to the vent. "Angelo, grab her. She's not responding."

Angelo bent down out of the grate and grabbed Debbie, pulling her gently into the vent. Bobby grabbed a chair and jumped into the hole. Angelo looked up from Debbie with tears in his eyes. "They hurt her, they hurt her like me."

Bobby ran his fingers through his hair. "Let's hope not Angelo. We have to get out of here." Bobby grabbed Debbie from Angelo. "Show me the way out of here Angelo."

Angelo nodded. As they made their way through the corridors of vents, Angelo stopped. "Now I help Lily." With that, Angelo pulled another box out of his pocket and pushed the button.

Lily dropped the missile launcher, not caring where it fell. She nodded to her team that she was ready to advance. They dropped into position all around her.

"You have the new design weapons?" Lily asked as she surveyed the damage to the Centre entrance.

Max, standing to her left, moved closer. "Yes Sir. The weapon can deploy either the neutralizing agent or bullets. How do we proceed?"

"Neutralize, but do not compromise. If there is any possibility of the team being hit, do not hesitate to return deadly force. Neutralize, then homicide. Am I understood? "Lily turned her stone cold face toward Max.

"Understood." Max resumed his place in formation.

Lily turned to her left rear. Becky stood there with Broots, the pair holding their computers with a harness unit. "Play it." Lily said and then turned back towards the Centre. The Centre PA system started blaring _Cry Little Sister _by Gerard McMann. _The last fire will rise, Behind those eyes, Black house will rock…._

Lily started climbing the stairs, the slow rhythm of the drums beat like a funeral march. Raines' funeral march.

The team moved with her, positioned around their leader. Ready to go into battle. They brought their weapons to the ready.

Lily started mouthing the words. _Through broken walls, That scream out here….._ She made her ascent to the Centre slowly, letting the music reverberate through her. She was entering Hell, the place she most feared, the place where she knew she belonged. Screams echoed in her memory. Screams that would never die. The screams of children.

Becky saw Lily go into that mode she knew so well. When Lily turned off her emotions and ran on pure instinct. They would lose her this way. If she lost her humanity, they would lose her permanently. Becky knew that Lily would know logically what she had done was a military operation, but she would lose her heart in the process.

Lily already believed that she had, but Becky knew it was there. Under the hurt, the pain, the sorrow, the guilt. Becky emphasized the words of the song into her comm piece. _Cry Little Sister, Though shall not fall, Come to your brother, Though shall not fall_… Becky had to slow Lily down. Give Jarod time to get here. _Though shall not fear, Love is with your brother, Though shall not kill._

Lily didn't turn to look at Becky. "Stop changing the words Bec."

"Not if it keeps you from doing something that will kill your soul." Becky gave Broots a worried look, more so when she saw that Broots had revealed he was carrying a weapon.

The music played on. Lily thought of Angel's Hope and the people that relied on her. _My Shangri-La, I can't forget, Why you were mine, I need you now…._

"I lost my soul a long time ago. Now it's time to avenge it and the murder of Catherine Parker." Lily had made it to the top of the stairs and approached the gaping hole in the building doorway. Lily motioned with her chin for the team to enter. Within seconds the Centre was filled with smoke and the Angel's Hope team started the automatic firing.

As soon as Marcus opened the door, Jarod flew from the plane. He jumped two steps at a time. Lily was already making her way into the Centre. Becky and Broots had been relaying to them everything that was happening.

Marcus and Parker followed Jarod the best they could, but he was in an all out sprint with Joel and Ronnie in close second. Panic filled Parker and she didn't like it. She had spent too long worrying for no one but herself. She didn't like that she cared if Lily went into the Centre alone. Or that Jarod was hell bent on catching her before she did.

Parker knew what was waiting for Lily. Raines would not go quietly. He would have them waiting – the Sweeper teams. And when the two teams met, it would be a blood bath. Neither side would relent, neither would take prisoners. Parker knew the only people Raines wanted alive, and they were walking right into his hands.

Jarod rounded the corner and stopped dead as he looked at the decimation Lily had caused to the front of the Centre. The few minutes that he took to catch his breath, Parker and Marcus caught up.

"Oh my God." Marcus said as he surveyed the damage. "She really did it." His eyes widened and panic filled his chest. "She took Becky in there. We have to get them out!" Marcus started for the steps.

Jarod grabbed his arm. "Don't. We'll go. We know the layout and security systems. You going in blind is a suicide mission."

"I am going. Becky is in there. I am bringing her out!" Marcus tried to tug his arm away.

"Fine." Parker yelled. "We all go in. Be cautious, be careful."

Jarod looked at Parker. "Parker, I think you should …"

"Don't even go there Boy Genius. One for all. We all go." She gave him a stern look.

Jarod nodded and started up the steps, inserting his body in front of Parker's. He wasn't about to let a stray bullet hit her. Once they reached the top, they could hear the sounds of a fight going on. Upon entering the lobby area, gun fire resounded throughout the halls. The group proceeded cautiously.

"Here." Ronnie slammed a gun in Jarod's hand. "You may need this."

Jarod said nothing; he just proceeded further into the lobby. The smoke was starting to clear and Jarod got his first good look at the room. "Lily, no. It didn't have to be like this."

Parker came up behind Jarod, after having retrieved a gun from Veronica herself. "Jarod, what's the matter." Parker never got to finish her sentence. She didn't have to. Parker saw what Jarod had seen.

Bodies littered the reception area floor. Men had been thrown over furniture, were face first on the floor, and had slid down walls. The Centre massacre had begun.

When Jarod thought nothing else horrible could happen, the Centre rocked with its first underground explosion.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chaos reigns.

The time has come at last.

The Dark King will pay.

The Players are out for Revenge.


	93. And the Walls Come Crumbling Down

Chaos reigns.

The time has come at last.

The Dark King will pay.

The Players are out for Revenge.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Fine." Parker yelled. "We all go in. Be cautious, be careful."

Jarod looked at Parker. "Parker, I think you should …"

"Don't even go there Boy Genius. One for all. We all go." She gave him a stern look.

Jarod nodded and started up the steps, inserting his body in front of Parker's. He wasn't about to let a stray bullet hit her. Once they reached the top, they could hear the sounds of a fight going on. Upon entering the lobby area, gunfire resounded throughout the halls. The group proceeded cautiously.

"Here." Ronnie slammed a gun in Jarod's hand. "You may need this."

Jarod said nothing; he just proceeded further into the lobby. The smoke was starting to clear and Jarod got his first good look at the room. "Lily, no. It didn't have to be like this."

Parker came up behind Jarod, after having retrieved a gun from Veronica herself. "Jarod, what's the matter." Parker never got to finish her sentence. She didn't have to. Parker saw what Jarod had seen.

Bodies littered the reception area floor. Men had been thrown over furniture, were face first on the floor, and had slid down walls. The Centre massacre had begun.

When Jarod thought nothing else horrible could happen, the Centre rocked with its first underground explosion.

Parker looked widely around. "What the hell was that?" After a few moments, the shaking ceased.

"Some form of underground explosion. We didn't plan for any underground explosive detonations." Ronnie surmised as she ran scenarios in her mind. "Interesting."

"Interesting?" Parker blared. "Interesting? Do you have _any_ idea what kind of explosion it would take to shake this building all the way to the first floor?"

"A big one." Ronnie said coolly as she knelt to examine one of the fallen Centre Sweepers.

Jarod turned and looked into Parker's eyes with concern written on his face. "Debbie." He whispered.

Parker took a deep breath and ran her finger down his face. "She'll be OK. She has to be." Parker turned from Jarod, looked around the bodies on the floor and whispered to herself. "Lyle. Where the hell are you two?"

Ronnie looked up excited. "Jarod. Miss Parker. I think you may want to take a look at this body quickly."

The vent shook with the force of an atom bomb. Bobby went flying and Debbie Broots went tumbling out of his arms. Bobby and Debbie became one giant mound of limbs, add to the mix was Angelo as he fell backwards from the blast.

"What the hell was that? What did you do?" Bobby maneuvered himself out from under Debbie. He snatched the box that Angelo had been holding. "You do not blow explosives while we are still down here!" He yelled.

"SL-27 bad. Needs to be destroyed." Angelo said as he extricated himself from the pile.

"A very good endeavor Angelo, but again. NOT WHILE WE'RE STILL ON THE FRIGGIN FLOOR!" Bobby screamed as he thrust the box into his pocket.

Angelo grabbed Debbie and lifted her up. "Needed diversion. To save Debbie."

Bobby looked around. "Save her? I'm not even sure the floor is sound enough for us to proceed. How are we suppose to save her if the whole Centre comes down on us?"

"One way safe. Made sure. Follow me." Angelo began down one of the vents.

Bobby puffed out a breath and then followed suit. "Angelo. Wait up."

After a few minutes, Angelo came to a stop. "Here. We must go out here."

Bobby looked out the grate. "Here? There's nothing here Angelo but the elevators."

Angelo shook his head yes vigorously. "Here."

"Angelo, the elevators can't be safe with the kind of explosion you created. They could collapse under our combined weight." Bobby looked up and down the exterior hallway to see if any Sweepers were coming. He then felt Angelo's hand on his arm. He turned back to Angelo.

"Believe." Angelo said sincerely. "Believe in me. Believe in Lily. Believe in destiny."

"Destiny? What does destiny have to do with anything?" Bobby said skeptically.

"Your destiny. Lily's destiny. Debbie's destiny. All intertwined. Believe." Angelo said in his childlike voice and his innocent eyes.

Bobby shook his head. "I must be insane." He kicked the grate out from in front of him. He jumped out and took Debbie from Angelo. Angelo jumped out and then went to push the elevator button. The elevator doors opened with a jerk. "Insane." The two men entered the elevator car, Debbie clutched firmly in Bobby's arms. The elevator doors closed and the elevator took off with another jerk. "Oh yeah. I'm clearly insane."

Lily's team was still in formation. The outside line had brought down the Centre personnel easily. She herself had not needed to raise a finger or a weapon as she sliced through the building on her way to the elevator. Just as they approached the elevator, the room started to shake. "What the hell was that?" Lily asked as she steadied herself.

"Angelo." Becky said looking as if she was listening to a far off voice. Becky's eyes focused and she turned to Lily. "Angelo is blowing SL-27."

"About time someone did." Lily replied as they reached the elevator banks that lead to the top offices. She started banging on the elevator buttons. "But he picked one hell of a time to do it."

Becky looked at Broots and then to Lily. Broots' concerned face amplified her own. "Lily. Where are we going? We're not going to get Debbie are we?"

Lily's people took up point so that they could shoot anyone coming near the elevator banks.

Lily took Becky's hands in her own. "I think you know where I'm going."

Swallowing the lump Becky suddenly had in her throat, she spoke shakily. "You can't go after him alone Lily. That's suicide. You said we were here to get Debbie Broots. Wait for Jarod, Miss Parker. They will be here momentarily."

Lily tightened her grip on her friend's hands. "I need to do this alone. You and Mr. Broots need to find Debbie." Becky started shaking her head no. "Becky. Do you believe in destiny?"

"Destiny?" Mr. Broots asked.

"Joan said that Raines and the whole Parker lot believed that a child would be born that would destroy the Centre one day. That's why they were looking for Jarod. What they didn't bank on was that there were two of us born and that the people who had translated the precious scrolls were sexist." Lily was hoping she was convincing her friend to let her go.

"I don't believe in scrolls or sexist monks or destinies. I believe in the good of people. Good prevails. Evil loses. You don't have to do this alone." Becky pleaded.

Lily gave a small smile. "Sexist monks huh? You read them, didn't you. You read the scrolls even though Joan had them hidden. You knew she had them."

Becky suddenly looked at her feet. "I don't know what you mean. I wouldn't touch her precious scrolls that were retrieved when they found Mr. Parker and brought back to Angel's Hope." She looked up with a sly smile.

Lily shook her head and Broots stood there with his mouth open. "You little vixen. I'm so proud of you." Lily hugged Becky.

"Hello." Broots started. "Do you realize that if Raines found out that the two of you have, what seems like, memorized knowledge of those scrolls that he would grab you and lock you away where no one would ever be able to find you?"

Lily's face turned stoic in a second's time. Her eyes bore into Broots. "I know fully well what Dr. Raines is capable of Mr. Broots. And I have no intention of ever being put in SL-27 again. Ever. No how. No way." Her voice dripped of venom. "He is going down today. By my hand. The hand that he locked in this hellhole thirty years ago. The hand that will never be locked away again."

The elevator binged. Lily turned to face whatever the elevator held.

Jarod knelt down next to the body lying in front of Veronica. He did a quick examination of the corpse and looked quickly up at Parker. "He's not dead." Jarod said in an almost stunned tone. "She didn't kill them."

Parker squatted next to Jarod and felt the pulse point on the Sweepers neck. Strong and steady, the man's pulse beat beneath Parker's fingers. "Why aren't they dead?"

"I knew she hadn't crossed to the dark side. I just knew it!" Ronnie was almost jumping with glee. "She had them use the special ammo." She looked at Joel who was shaking his head. "I told you. She's not evil. Lily's back!"

Jarod stood. "We have to find her now. She may not have gunned down these people, but she will Raines." Jarod pulled Parker up to her feet. "We have to stop her before she does cross that line." Jarod started pulling Parker across the lobby toward the elevators.

Guns were pointed at the elevator doors as they slowly parted. The shooters were about to shoot, when Angelo threw himself in front of Debbie and Bobby. "No!" He cried. "Can't hurt them."

Lily came around her team. "Stand down, stand down." She pushed herself through two of the guards, while Broots pushed his way through two others.

"Debbie!" Broots cried as he saw his unconscious daughter being held in the clutches of Lyle. "Put her down! What did you do to her?" Broots started to grab Debbie from Lyle as Bobby handed her over.

"I didn't do anything to her Mr. Broots." Bobby's emotions crashed as he saw Lily's face, which was a mask of fury and pain. He instinctively moved to her. "I didn't do this. Raines did."

Angelo came up next to Broots and Debbie. Lily came and stood on the other side, anger fighting for control of her. He gently stroked Debbie's hair. "He hurt her like me. Dr. Raines, hurt her. We tried to stop him." Tears filled his eyes. "We lost."

Broots' choked back tears. "Thank you for trying Angelo." He looked down at his precious daughter. "I am so sorry baby that I was so late." He looked up at Lyle. "Is there a way to reverse this?"

Bobby looked back at Broots, when all he wanted to do was take Lily in his arms. "Jarod knows. He has countered it before."

"The shots that Sydney gave Angelo. Will those help?" Broots was ready to grab at any straw they could give him.

"Yes they can." A voice came from behind them.

As Lily turned, she saw Jarod, Parker, Ronnie, Joel, and Captain Marcus approach them. "You shouldn't be here big brother."

"And neither should you." Jarod looked over at Broots. "Mr. Broots. There is a plane sitting on the runway that we came in on. Get Debbie back to Angel's Hope. I will make sure by the time you get there that the serum is made."

Broots took a deep breath. "Thank you Jarod. I don't know how I will ever repay you."

"Repay me by raising a beautiful daughter. Get going. Take Debbie out of here." Jarod motioned for the front of the building.

Lily ordered. "Ronnie. Go with them. Protect them."

"Yes Ma'am." Ronnie fell into position beside Broots.

Parker walked up to Broots. "Be careful." Parker took a breath and let it out slowly. "This wasn't your fault. Raines did this. And I will make him pay." She gave Debbie a kiss on her head and whispered in her ear. "I swear this to you, he will pay." Parker stepped away. "Get out of here Broots. Now!"

Broots nodded and turned to leave. There were a thousand things he wanted to say, to do. To scream that Parker was wrong. He had stayed in this hellhole of his own accord. And it had cost him his daughter.

Angelo came running up next to Broots. "You did what you had to. For her. To have a life."

Broots nodded and looked at Lily. "Stop him."

A thousand memories flooded Parker - her mother's smiling face, Edna Raines, Kyle, and finally Tommy lying in a pool of blood. "I swear." Parker thought.

"I swear." Lily promised the father. "He will never do this to another living being ever again."

Broots silently nodded, hugged his daughter and took off out of the Centre with Ronnie by his side.

Lily turned and hit the elevator button. The doors slid open. She started to board the car when Jarod grabbed her arm. "You don't have to do this. You could wait for the authorities."

The sad look on Lily's face told Jarod he wasn't going to win. Lily looked up and down Jarod. "You're not cut out for war. Go back to Angel's Hope Jarod."

Jarod shook his head. "No."

"The scrolls say that we do it." Lily turned to him. "I say we do it." Lily's eyes bore into Jarod's. "We cause the fall of the Centre. And I plan on keeping that promise to Mr. Broots and all the other children Raines has hurt." Lily pulled her arm free. "You either fighting with me or against me. The choice is yours."

Jarod took Lily's hand. "Then we do it together. We end it now."

Lily led Jarod onto the elevator. Parker and Bobby tried to get on next at the same time. "Back off Brother dear." Parker snapped.

"Forget it Mary Poppins. I'm going. I plan on frying that old man ten days to Sunday." Bobby finally relented and let Parker proceed first. The remainder of the group boarded the elevator.

"When this is all over, I'm going to kill you." Parker sneered at Lyle.

"If we survive this, I'd like to see you try." Bobby replied.

"Enough." Lily ordered. "I will not have petty bickering compromise this mission."

"I think some people are in need of major family counseling." Becky added.

Lily looked over at Becky. "Levity? Now?"

Becky crossed her arms over her chest. "Can you think of a better time? We're about to walk into the lion's den with our pants down around our ankles and meat hung around out necks."

Lily shook her head and almost cracked a smile. "Only you...only you."

The elevator doors opened. The guards went out first, sweeping the area with their scopes. A second later the eruption of gunfire filled the hallway. And a moment later, the corridor went silent. "All clear." Came the call from the Angel's Hope team.

Lily proceeded out of the elevator, gun drawn, with Parker and Jarod on her heels. "This way." Parker directed, navigating them towards Raines' office.

Another round of gunfire had everyone scrambling up against the walls and then silence again. "Clear." Rang out again. Parker led them to Raines' door and pushed it open.

When Raines looked up he saw the making of his own Armageddon. Standing proud in a line was Angelo, Becky, Parker, Jarod, Lily, and Bobby. The leftover remnants of the children of SL-27.

Lily raised her gun and pointed it straight at Raines' head. "Time is up. Ace is played." Lily slowly hissed. "Checkmate."

From the corners of the room Willie and Sam emerged, guns drawn. Raines smiled. "Checkmate indeed."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Game has ended.

Moments are fleeting.

The Players are all in place.

How will they ever survive?


	94. All the King’s Horses All the King’s Men

The Game has ended.

Moments are fleeting.

The Players are all in place.

How will they ever survive?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The elevator doors opened. The guards went out first, sweeping the area with their scopes. A second later the eruption of gunfire filled the hallway. And a moment later, the corridor went silent. "All clear." Came the call from the Angel's Hope team.

Lily proceeded out of the elevator, gun drawn, with Parker and Jarod on her heels. "This way." Parker directed, navigating them towards Raines' office.

Another round of gunfire had everyone scrambling up against the walls and then silence again. "Clear." Rang out again. Parker led them to Raines' door and pushed it open.

When Raines looked up he saw the making of his own Armageddon. Standing proud in a line was Angelo, Becky, Parker, Jarod, Lily, and Bobby. The leftover remnants of the children of SL-27.

Lily raised her gun and pointed it straight at Raines' head. "Time is up. Ace is played." Lily slowly hissed. "Checkmate."

From the corners of the room Willie and Sam emerged, guns drawn. Raines smiled. "Checkmate indeed."

"Afraid to face me alone Raines?" Lily crept like a sleek panther into the room. Not even a whisper of her heels was heard. "Afraid to face the atrocity you created. The Frankenstein monster from your past." Lily's voice trembled as her anger grew.

"Lily, don't." Jarod almost pleaded as he swore he could feel his twin's pain and sorrow.

"Stop right there." Willie ordered. His finger itching to pull the trigger.

Before Lily could say another word, a shot rang out. Parker ducked back behind the doorway, while Jarod hit the floor. Becky and Angelo flew to the side. Lily still stood tall in front of Raines, Bobby standing behind her.

Raines' eyes had become as big as golf balls as he turned his head towards the sound of the shot. What he saw was Sam's gun raised. Was that smoke coming out of the end of the barrel? He felt as if he was in quicksand. Everything was in slow motion. When he finally could turn his head in the other direction, he saw Willie flying sideways from the brunt of the shot that had entered the side of his skull.

Parker held her weapon close as she rounded the doorway. Willie's body lay on the floor motionless. A puddle of blood pooling under his head. "Damn. I wanted to do that." Parker noticed that Sam's gun was now aimed at Raines' temple. "Hey Sam."

"Miss Parker." Sam replied without flinching.

"Contemplating a career change?" Parker asked as she saw for the first time in her life, sweat roll down Raines' face. Jarod pushed himself off the floor in one fluid motion and was next to Parker in a heartbeat. "Want to explain this?" Parker pointed the muzzle of her gun towards Willie's remains. "Not that I'm complaining."

Sam stole a sideways glance at Parker. "Orders Miss Parker."

"Orders." Parker said flatly. "I never gave you any orders to kill Willie."

Sam kept his face pointed straight at Raines. "Not your orders..." Sam hesitated and then smiled. "Melissa."

Anger flew into Parker's eyes. "What did you call me?"

Raines abruptly turned his head to look at Sam. Sam smiled down at him. "Dr. Stedman said if I ever wanted to get a rise out of you, I was to call you by your first name. I guess she was right."

Jarod shook his head in astonishment. "You work for Angel's Hope."

Sam nodded. "I am Miss Parker's personal bodyguard. Though at times that has not been the easiest thing to be."

"You son of a bitch." Parker started heading towards Sam.

Jarod grabbed her and pulled her up against his chest. "Parker, stop. He's one of the good guys."

"Good guy my ass. He's been lying to me for years." Parker tried to pull herself from Jarod.

"For a good cause Miss Parker." Sam moved so that he was beside Raines. "A very good cause."

Bobby came and stood behind Lily, who hadn't moved from her position. Her gun still aimed at Raines' forehead like a bulls- eye. He tried to push her arm down, but Lily didn't budge. "It's over Lily. Put the gun down."

"No." The echoes of the past rang in Lily's ears. The screaming children, the hypodermic needles, the training sessions - _I decide who lives or dies_... Lily took a deep breath. "It won't be over till Raines is dead by my hand."

Jarod turned as he heard Lily's words. "Lily. Give me the gun." Jarod held his hand out. When she didn't respond, he tried to put himself in her line of vision. "Please. You don't want to do this."

"It will make you no better than him." Bobby added. Becky and Angelo slowly got up. But Angelo restrained Becky when she tried to go to Lily.

"Killing him is all I have thought about since I was four years old. To stop the madness. To save the children." Lily's finger twitched on the trigger.

"Lily," Jarod pleaded, "he can't hurt anyone, anymore. You've made sure of that."

"It won't be for sure till he's dead." Lily continued. "I decide who lives or dies."

Raines rose immediately upon those words. "No you don't."

Lily smiled. "Yes I do. You told me so."

Raines scowled. "When dictated by me!"

Lily's face turned into a storm of fury. "No one! No one! Dictates anything to me!" She shouted pushing past Jarod and bringing the gun closer to Raines. "Especially not you." She spat between clenched teeth.

"Don't do it Lily." Jarod begged. "Let the authorities take care of him." Jarod approached his sister cautiously.

"Let her have him Jarod." Parker said as she still stared down Sam. "It would save the state the cost of having to execute his ass."

"His execution will be determined by a jury of his peers." Jarod volleyed back.

"What are you going to do? Import the troops from hell to sit on the panel. I'm sure Ghangis Khan would be available. Or how about Dr. Mengele?" Parker retaliated.

"You're not helping." Jarod whispered in Parker's ear as he got closer to Lily. "Please Lily. Don't become the person you despise."

Lily sucked in a breath. "I'm already the person I despise."

Jarod reached for the gun. "No. You are a beautiful, intelligent, caring person."

"No." Lily let out a whisper. "I'm a murderer."

"No." Jarod stepped in Lily's path to Raines. Sam moved in closer. "You're my sister. And I love you."

Tears stung Lily's eyes. "Get out of my way. Let me finish this."

Suddenly a group of men came storming into the room. The lead man yelled. "FBI. Everyone stay where you are." The man approached Lily. "Lily I presume. Dr. Stedman said that you would be detaining the suspect." The man looked at the gun pointed at Jarod. " Here men. Take him away and read him his rights."

An agent went to grab Jarod. Lily lowered her gun. "It's not him. That's my brother." Lily glared at Raines. "Him." Lily nodded toward the angered man. "That is Dr. William Raines. And I want him arrested on multiple counts of murder. Including the murder of Catherine Parker."

"Sorry Ma'am." Two agents moved to get past Sam to take Raines into custody. "I also have the authority to arrest one Mr. Lyle."

Panic filled Parker's face. "Why Mr. Lyle?"

"I have a report here that states that a Mr. Lyle murdered amongst other people a Kyle O'Connor." Parker shot a look that could kill at Jarod. "There was also information supplied that this man may have been involved in several murders of women that were brought here from Asia." The man looked up from his notes and surveyed the room.

Bobby took a long look at Lily. She was safe now. It was time for him to pay for his crimes. He lingered one last time on Lily's face. She was in such turmoil. Jarod should have let her kill the bastard. How he wished he could erase the pain he saw in Lily's eyes. The pain only he knew existed under the cold exterior that she painted for the world. How he wished he could just hold her one last time. With his head held high, he went to move past Lily and present himself to the agent in charge.

"He's dead." Lily stated as she continued to stare ahead.

Bobby's head snapped toward Lily. As did Jarod and Parker. "Lily..." Bobby started.

Lily turned coldly to the agent. "Raines killed him. For his betrayal." Lily turned to look directly into Bobby's eyes. Bobby shook his head no. If she were caught in a lie, it would be the end of her career and her fight for good. "I witnessed it myself."

The agent looked toward Lily and then examined the man that had tried to move around her. He fit the description of this Mr. Lyle. "Lily. Are you sure that this Mr. Lyle is deceased? The gentleman standing next to you seems to fit the description of the suspect."

Bobby looked at Lily, Parker, and Jarod. Lily had been caught in her deception.

Lily remained her calm self. "Yes Sir. Mr. Lyle was no gentleman, he was a killer." Lily came and placed her hand on Bobby's shoulder. "This is Robert Parker. He was kidnapped from his parents by the then Dr. William Raines. He has just recently found out about his history and family." Bobby and Lily stared into each other's eyes. For the first time in his life, Bobby felt unconditional and enduring love. "Like I said. Mr. Lyle is dead." Lily turned back towards the agent. "I'm sure Raines has disposed of the body. We may find evidence in his files, but he was shrewd. We may not find anything at all."

The agent looked skeptically at Lily, but he had been told she held the highest security and he was to relent that she was the leading authority at the site. "Very well. My men will comb this place. If there is any evidence, we'll find it."

Parker moved closer to Jarod and he in turn put his arm around her bringing her closer to his heart. "Pay particular attention to a level called SL-27. I believe you will find it quite interesting." Parker stated as Jarod gave her a squeeze. "If you can find it under the rubble."

"We'll check it out Ma'am." The agent moved off and conferred with other agents that had entered the room.

Bobby turned Lily back towards him. He whispered, "Why did you do that? You could have jeopardized everything Lily."

Lily gave a little smirk. "Because it was the truth. Lyle dyed the moment you saved me from Raines. I know it and he knew it too. You're free now. Just like we always planned it. Just like it should have been thirty years ago." Lily started to back away.

"Lily?" Bobby moved forward trying to figure out why she was moving away from him when all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss her until eternity ended. Before he could say more, an agent stepped up to him.

"Sir. I will need to get your statement of what transpired this evening." The agent took out a pad and pen from his pocket.

Bobby looked back at Lily who had moved to the other side of the room and had been approached by the lead investigator and another agent.

Agents combed the Centre for a good part of the day and night. Jarod, Parker, Bobby, Becky, and Lily were questioned endlessly. Broots had reported back to Parker. Angel's Hope personnel had gotten Debbie to a private hospital. The team there was working at reversing what Raines had done. Parker could hear the anxiety in Broots' voice.

"She'll be all right Broots." Parker whispered into the cell phone that one of the Angel's Hope agents had given her. "Dr. Stedman will not let Raines win. She sent the best to care for her." Jarod came up behind Parker and listened to the conversation.

"I know Miss Parker." Broots replied. "She's already called me. Dr. Stedman said that if they can't make any progress here, they'll move Debbie to Angel's Hope." There was a catch in Broots' voice. "They'll be able to give her better long-term care."

"Don't give up hope Broots." Parker reassured the shaken man as Jarod put his arm around her to give her support. He knew that Debbie was almost as important to Parker as she was to Broots. "She's a tough little lady."

Parker continued her conversation with Broots as he turned his head to scan the room. Bobby was talking to yet another agent. Jarod wasn't sure if the FBI bought Lily's story of Mr. Lyle being dead. And the problems Bobby was experiencing was Jarod's fault. He had given the report to the FBI when he transferred the information about Raines. Who would have figured that his sister would fall in love with the man who he despised for killing his brother. What a paradox.

Jarod kept scanning the crowd and then spotted Lily. She was covertly slipping out of the room. Moving like the ghost that she was. The chameleon she had been trained to be. They had been trained to be. "I'll be back." Jarod whispered into Parker's ear.

Parker turned her head to see the cloth of Lily's clothing slip around the corner and Jarod following suit.

Bobby noticed Jarod's sudden movement and quickly surveyed the room. No Lily. "Excuse me." He said to the agent trying to be the polite, hurt victim he was supposed to be. But his gut was turning. His Centre instincts were taking over. Lily was running. Bobby hurried out the door after Jarod.

Parker watched her brother follow Jarod. "Broots." Parker started. "I have to go. I'll call you later to check on Debbie." Parker hit the end button and started after everyone. Her gut told her what she needed to know. What Jarod and Bobby had figured out. Lily was running. And she knew neither man would let her go.

Dark had fallen over the Centre. A breeze blew on the tarmac of the Centre's private airstrip. A lone thin figure walked quickly toward the plane that was waiting to take off. Long hair whipped around the figure's head like a maelstrom was fueling it. The emotions of the person were being manifested by the elements.

Half way to the plane a second figure entered the tarmac. "Lily!" Jarod yelled, trying to have his voice carry over the wind. "Stop!"

Lily slowed her pace, but didn't stop. She had made her decision. No one was going to stop her.

Jarod used every ounce of energy he had and poured it into his long legs. He overtook Lily is a few minutes. He grabbed her arm, which was folder against her chest. "Lily." She wouldn't look at him. "Where are you going?"

Lily couldn't look at him. "Away" was all she would say.

"Away where?" A voice came from behind them. Bobby came up behind the two, winded by the run from the Centre. "Where are we going Lily?"

Lily turned her head to look at Bobby. Coldness reflected off her pupils. "I didn't say _we_."

Panic started to fill Bobby. He knew that look. He had seen it in the mirror a million times. "You're not going anywhere without me." He tried to touch her arm, but Lily stepped away.

Parker came up behind her brother. A quick evaluation told her things were not good. Jarod and Bobby's hearts were breaking. "What's going on?"

"Lily was going to say where we were going." Bobby said flat out.

"You're not going anywhere." Lily said straight to Bobby. Then she turned to Jarod. "You either." She then turned to Parker. "And don't even ask Ice Princess."

"I didn't plan on it." Parker replied. "I came to pick up the pieces you leave behind."

Lily looked at Parker. They understood each other. They had come to a truce. "Take care of them." Parker nodded. Lily stepped past Jarod and headed for the plane again.

Bobby grabbed her arm again and held on tight. "You're not getting on that plane without me."

Lily looked down at her arm. "Release me." The words were meant to come out as a threat, but instead it was more a plea. She looked back up at him. "Let me go." Tears rimmed her eyes. "Please."

Bobby felt tears in his eyes as well. "I let you go twice already - once to Catherine Parker and once to death. I won't lose you again." He took her in his arms, but Lily looked away. "I can't lose you again. I just found you."

Jarod went to move towards his sister, but Parker stopped him. "Let them say goodbye." She looked into Jarod's sorrowful eyes as he shook his head no.

"I just found her too." He whispered to Parker.

"If you love something set it free. If it comes back it's yours, if not it was never meant to be. It was a poem I read once." Parker smiled. "Worked for us."

Bobby gently pulled Lily around by her chin. "We belong together. Ying to my Yang. Talk to me."

Lily looked into his eyes. "I can't do this."

"Do what?" Bobby argued. "Be with me. We'll work it out. I'll talk to your parents. I'll get Jarod on our side. I'll ..."

Lily shook her head no. "I don't have parents. Family. I can't be with you."

Jarod heard this. "You do have family Lily. Me, Mom, Dad, Emily, Ethan, Thomas. We love you."

Lily tore her chin from Bobby and backed away. "No. They're your family Jarod. It's you they've been looking for. Margaret and Charles didn't know I existed and Emily despises me. You're the good one, the golden child. I'm the damaged one."

"You are not damaged." Bobby advanced.

"Not damaged." Lily spun and laughed. "Not damaged? I'm the epitome of dysfunctional. Look at me." Lily spread her arms out. "I would have shot him. Had the FBI not walked in, I would have killed Raines and still slept like a baby."

"It's not who you are Lily." Jarod started. "You're just reacting to the circumstances of..."

"I am reacting the way a trained killer reacts." Lily spat. "I'm no angel Jarod.

"Neither am I." Bobby added. "Let me come with you. We'll go wherever you want to."

A tear escaped down her cheek. Lily wiped it away and shook all emotion away. "It's time you get this and get this good." Lily stood there with her hair flying in every direction. "There is no we. No us. I am getting on that plane and I am not looking back." Lily glared at Jarod. "That goes for everyone. I am leaving and no one is going to follow. No one is going to trail me. No one is to try and find me." Fresh pain shot through her heart, through her soul. "I'm out of here." Lily headed for the plane.

"What about the baby?" Bobby asked coming up behind her.

Lily stopped in her tracks. "I haven't decided." She responded without turning around.

Bobby stalked up behind her. "I have the right to know my own child Lily."

Lily turned and with a sad heart answered the only man she had truly loved. "We're broken Bobby. I already told you that. What kind of parents would we make? What are you going to tell our child when they ask what was your childhood like." Lily's voice cracked. "What do we give it for it's fifth birthday? A 9mm gun. Explosives. What do we know of raising a child?"

Jarod moved up behind Bobby. "You've been helping children your whole life. You have enough love for your own child." Parker came up behind Jarod and put her hand on his shoulder. She shook her head no.

"Love?" Lily spat. "Love. What do I know of love. I know killing. I know weapons. I know a hundred ways to incapacitate a human being. That's not love." Lily wrapped her arms around herself. "You don't understand."

"What don't we understand Lily?" Bobby asked trying to get within her raised barrier.

"I can't stand who I am." Lily presented her outstretched hands. "They're stained." Lily wiped her hands together. "I have the blood of thousands on my hands." She looked at her hands again. "And I can't get it off. It's stained my soul." She looked at Bobby with sad eyes. "I am a killer. It's _who I am_."

Bobby did something he had never done before. He pleaded. "Please let me go with you."

"You can't go where I'm going." Lily whispered.

"You found Bobby in me." Bobby outstretched his arms to her. "I'm not perfect, but I love you."

"No." Lily said barely above a whisper as she backed away toward the plane.

Bobby straightened up quickly, his anger now bubbling to the surface. "Don't you leave me behind again."

Lily straightened as well. "Take care of yourself and Parker." With that she turned and walked toward the plane.

Bobby screamed. "The hell you are leaving me!" He watched Lily flinch and then shake her head as she ran for the plane. "Don't you dare leave me!" Bobby started to move toward the plane, but Parker grabbed his arm. Bobby looked at Parker with fire in his eyes. Parker responded with acceptance. Bobby shook his head no and pulled his arm away from Parker. He looked back at Lily. "Don't leave me alone again." He said as he sank to his knees, tears pouring down his face.

Jarod tried to push past Parker and Lyle. "Lily!" he shouted. "Don't go!"

Parker grabbed his arm. "Let her go Jarod." Panic filled Jarod's face. "I know, but you have to let her go."

"I just found her." Jarod tried to explain like Parker didn't understand. "She's my sister."

Parker gently caressed the line along Jarod's chin. "And she's in pain Jarod. I know that pain - intimately." Parker pulled Jarod down into a kiss. "You have to give her the space she needs." Parker completed the kiss. "I love you." She said to Jarod and knew in that instance that she truly meant it. Then she changed her focus to her brother crumbled on the tarmac. "Now it's time to pick up the pieces."

Lily climbed the stairs attached to the plane. Captain Marcus waited for her at the head of staircase. Lily took one last look at Bobby crumbled on the tarmac. New tears chipped at her resolve.

"Where to Lily?" Captain Marcus asked the shaken woman.

"Anywhere but here." Lily turned and entered the plane. Marcus followed and shut the door. "Get me the hell out of here." Marcus nodded and headed for the cockpit. "Marcus." Lily stopped the pilot. She went to the seats and pulled a case that sat next to her previous chair. She opened the case and pulled out an envelope. Lily handed it to Marcus. "Here are your flight plans."

"As you wish." Marcus responded knowing better than to ask questions. He left the body of the plane and entered the cockpit.

Lily threw herself onto the seat and buckled in. She curled up, feeling the little bulge in her stomach. She hugged her stomach and started to cry. "Bobby." She whispered softly as the plane took off.

Bobby looked up at the plane taxiing down the runway. "Lily." He whispered softly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Players have completed the Game.

Time for a new Game to begin.

What is in store for the Players?

Will they finally find peace or turmoil?


	95. Can They Be Put Back Together

Chapter 95: Can They Be Put Back Together Again?

The Players have completed the Game.

Time for a new Game to begin.

What is in store for the Players?

Will they finally find peace or turmoil?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lily climbed the stairs attached to the plane. Captain Marcus waited for her at the head of staircase. Lily took one last look at Bobby crumbled on the tarmac. New tears chipped at her resolve.

"Where to Lily?" Captain Marcus asked the shaken woman.

"Anywhere but here." Lily turned and entered the plane. Marcus followed and shut the door. "Get me the hell out of here." Marcus nodded and headed for the cockpit. "Marcus." Lily stopped the pilot. She went to the seats and pulled a case that sat next to her previous chair. She opened the case and pulled out an envelope. Lily handed it to Marcus. "Here are your flight plans."

"As you wish." Marcus responded knowing better than to ask questions. He left the body of the plane and entered the cockpit.

Lily threw herself onto the seat and buckled in. She curled up, feeling the little bulge in her stomach. She hugged her stomach and started to cry. "Bobby." She whispered softly as the plane took off.

Bobby looked up at the plane taxiing down the runway. "Lily." He whispered softly.

An hour later, the plane was landing on a remote airstrip. There were various cars scattered about waiting for the plane to finish taxiing.

Lily grabbed her case and removed the file she had brought from Angel's Hope. Opening the folder, Lily saw the paperwork on top. She grabbed those sheets and put the file back in the case. "OK Mrs. Davidson. Let's have a little reunion, shall we?"

Once the plane came to a complete stop, Captain Marcus came from the cockpit to open the door. He turned to Lily, "Is this a safe destination?"

Lily gave a small smile, glad to know that the man who Becky liked was an honorable man. Lily gave Marcus a pat on his arm. "I'll be fine. Just a little business to take care of."

"Will you need my assistance? Those aren't Angel's out there." Marcus moved his jacket to show Lily that he was armed.

"No need. I think I will have enough protection with them out there." Lily saw the concerned look on Marcus's face. "FBI. We have a little ass busting to conduct."

Marcus nodded his approval and moved so that Lily could disembark the plane. As she descended the stairwell, the emptiness inside her started to be filled once again with pain and rage. She took several breaths to keep herself under control; Raines' programming trying to push itself to the surface.

Coming towards the airplane was a tall, stocky man with wavy red hair. Lily noted that he looked like a high school line backer. Not that she had ever been given the chance to go to high school and know what a line backer looked like up close and personal. Needless to say he looked like a human battering ram. At the bottom of the stairwell Lily greeted the agent.

The agent presented his hand. "Agent Dooley, Ma'am. Agent Monroe called. He said you had a kidnapping suspect to apprehend."

Fury poured through her veins as she thought of the person who had kept her life a living nightmare. The one person who could have saved her, but instead handed her over to Raines lock, stock, and barrel. As if she were a heifer, to be bartered for a few dollars. "Yes Agent Dooley. I am eager to have this suspect apprehended and prosecuted."

The agent gave a concerned look at Lily, but gestured for the woman to proceed to his vehicle. Whatever the issues she had, they were personal and he had his orders. Lily entered the vehicle and he followed with the other vehicles following theirs from the airstrip.

He had been told that this was top priority. Orders from higher up the ladder than their area chief. Dooley wondered what this person had done to warrant such wrath from the FBI. Dooley took a slip of paper out of his jacket. "I wanted to confirm with you that this was the correct address Ms…." The agent realized that he did not know the last name of his car's occupant.

Lily looked at the address and then up at the agent. "Lily, just Lily. I haven't chosen a last name for the week yet."

"Your last name changes every week?" The agent asked indignantly thinking that he was being given a run around.

"Last names are overrated." Lily stated staring out the window. She heard the agent give an exaggerated huff next to her. She slowly turned to look at the man with her stoic façade. "Depending on my mission for the week, yes it changes frequently. So let's just leave it at Lily."

The agent nodded in agreement. "We'll be there in twenty minutes." And the remainder of the drive remained awkwardly quiet.

As Lily peered out the car window, the scenery began to change into suburban houses with streets lined with large oak trees. She recognized these streets. It may have been over thirty years, but the neighborhoods hadn't changed much. Looking at the street signs, she realized they were at the corner of Mulberry and Lincoln Lane. This was the corner they use to turn at on the rare occasion when Mrs. Davidson had taken her to the park.

The car rolled to a standstill in front of an old Victorian styled home. It had a different color now; painted white from the cream that she remembered the house to be. But there was no mistaking it. This was the home where her nightmares had begun. This is where they would hopefully come to an end.

Officers filed out of the car and headed for the home like ants attacking an invading predator. Dressed in SWAT gear, they piled up the front steps and porch as well as securing the rear exit. Agent Dooley spoke a few words into his radio and the armed agents broke in the front door.

Pieces of the door and frame flew in every direction as agents stormed into the front living room area where an old woman sat watching the news. Her eyes grew panicked as the men pointed their assault rifles at her while others cleared the house.

As all this was happening, Lily slowly ascended the steps of the house with Agent Dooley right behind her. Crossing the threshold, she saw the woman that had been her jailor, her keeper, her Mother.

Mrs. Davidson looked at Lily with awestruck eyes. "No." The woman started to shake her head. The long brown hair, the light chestnut eyes, the haunted look. "It can't be you. Raines said you were dead."

Lily went to stand in front of her. "Hello Mommy Dearest."

Agent Dooley turned his head sharply and looked at Lily. "This is your Mother? You want us to arrest your Mother?"

Lily never took her gaze off Davidson. "She was my mother for four years. She is also the person who took me from Dr. Raines knowing that I had been kidnapped from my parents as a baby. She is the one who took me to Dr. Raines periodically for testing." The old woman lowered her head. "And she is the one who handed me over to him at four years old so that he could _torture_," Lily emphasized each word, "_terrorize_, and _physically harm me_."

A cry from upstairs broke Lily from her trance of looking at Davidson. She knew that sound. She turned to Dooley. "And I will never let her hurt another child ever again." With that Lily took off up the stairs, which were at the other end of the room, as Dooley started reading Mrs. Davidson her rights.

Lily ran up the stairs as fast as she could. She didn't have to think about where to go, her memory took care of that. Up the stairs, down the hall, third room on the left. Lily stopped as she saw an agent struggling to pull out of her room a scared, sobbing child.

"Stop." Lily barked. Immediately knowing that she needed to change her tone. "Please. She's frightened and alone against the devil." Lily slowly approached the agent and outstretched her arms. "Let me. I'll calm her down."

The agent looked at the small mound that made up Lily's stomach and then back at the struggling child. "I'm not sure that would be the best option for you Ma'am."

Lily looked at the scared child. "It is the best option. Put her down in the room and leave us alone." Lily waited while the agent made up his mind and then disappeared into the room. Two minutes later he stepped back out and motioned for Lily to proceed.

"I hope you know what you are getting yourself into lady." The agent stepped out of the way and closed the door after Lily proceeded in.

The first thing Lily saw was the little curly brown haired girl dressed in an old dress huddled in the corner trying to contain her sobs. She was wedged between the corner of the room and the small bed, ehich besides a dresser and a desk were the only furniture in the room.

The child's chest was heaving as if she had run a race. Lily's heart broke in two. Another era, another child - Raines was truly the devil and he didn't wear Prada. "Hello." Lily said as she sat herself on the floor by the closed door. "My name is Lily. What's yours?"

The little girl looked down at her trembling hands. There were tears in the corner of her eyes.

Lily thought about what she could say to the terrorized girl. "I know what has been happening." The little girl's eyes snapped up to look Lily in the face. "You've been taken to see a doctor or doctors right?" The little girl nodded her agreement. "And maybe a few of those times there was a wheezing, bald man watching in the shadows."

The girl's eyes went wide. "Yes. He looked mean."

Lily scooted a little closer. "He's more than mean honey. He's the devil incarnate." Lily made it to right in front of her. "What is your name?"

"How do I know I can trust you?" The girl asked as she tilted her head and looked slyly at Lily.

Lily smiled and stood up. She moved to the paneling she remembered so long ago. A little more worn, but Davidson had never bothered to replace it. Lily found the panel she had used when she was a child. Pulling a knife out of her pocket, Lily flipped it open. The little girl went scrambling to the other side of the room. "Don't worry. Look." Lily stuck the knife into slit that no one could see unless you knew where it was. The panel slid off. "See. Lily said pointing into the black void. "This was my special space."

The little girl curious moved a little closer.

Lily peered into the hole. "Seems like some other children also found this spot." Lily wanted to cry as she pulled out a jack set, a small stuffed dog, a half clothed Barbie doll, a tattered book, and all the way in the back was her doll. "Here see this? This is my doll. I hid her here when I stayed in this room."

"Belinda." The little girl said as she sat down next to Lily. "My name is Belinda Davidson. The little dog is mine." Lily handed her the dog.

"Come here." Lily held out her arms so that the little girl could hug her. "I promise no one will ever hurt you again." Lily rocked Belinda. "There are some men and women outside who want to take you out of here. They want to examine you, but they don't want to hurt you." Belinda stiffened in Lily's arms. Lily leaned down into her ear. "Would you like to go where I live?"

Belinda looked up at Lily. "Could I? Mommy was always saying that if I weren't a good girl, the men would come and take me to the bad place. The testing place."

Lily's face became stone. "She's not your mother. If you come to where I live, I promise we will try to find your real parents. And if we can't, you're welcome to stay with us. With other children just like you. Special. Intelligent."

"I think I would like that." Belinda responded.

"Then I need you to be strong Belinda and go with the agents outside. Then a woman named Becky is going to come and get you. She is my bestest friend and she will take you to our home. She's like us too. She's been to the bad place and made it out."

"All right. I'm ready." Belinda looked around the room. "Should I pack? I don't have much."

"No honey. I will make sure Becky gets you all new things."

Belinda smiled as Lily tried to maneuver around. "Are you going to have a baby?"

Lily looked down at her stomach. "Yes I am, Belinda, I am going to have a baby."

"You'll make a good Mommy. Better than Mom...Mrs. Davidson?"

"We'll see Belinda." Lily took her hand and went to open the door. The agent was standing outside with another woman agent. "You are?" She asked the woman agent.

"Agent Vaise Ma'am." The agent responded.

"Well Agent Vaise, this is Belinda. I would like you to take her to a secure hospital and then one of the members of my team will come and get her. Am I understood?"

The agent nodded. "Agent Dooley said that we were to follow your orders." Vaise took the child from Lily. "And I will make sure that Dr. Stedman also knows the turn of events."

Lily nodded. "Thank you Agent Vaise. Protect her with your life." The agent nodded again as she led the child away.

Lily turned back into the room and went to sit on the small bed. Lily lowered her head into her hands and started to cry. Cry for the little girl who had been trapped here. Cried for all those who had proceeded her. The memories came flooding in and Lily let them come.

"It's all right Sweetheart. Just let it all out." Came a voice from the doorway.

Lily looked up and gasped. "Mark." She whispered.

Bobby looked up at the plane taxiing down the runway. "Lily." He whispered softly. "Lily, don't go."

Parker kneeled down to her brother. "She needs time Lyle."

"Screw time." Bobby said as he got up. "And I'm not Lyle. My NAME is Bobby. She showed me that."

Jarod, who had been watching Parker and Lyle, heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see Becky coming up to the group. "Did you know about this?"

Becky looked sadly at Jarod. Parker and Bobby came and stood next to Jarod. "I had a clue when she handed me this." Becky handed a closed envelope to Jarod and Bobby. "I'm so sorry."

Becky started walking past them.

"Where are _you_ going?" Parker asked belligerently.

Becky stopped and looked at Parker. "I have orders. I'm shipping out."

Jarod and Bobby had walked away from each other and opened their envelopes.

Jarod read his. "Dear Jarod, If you are reading this, welcome to freedom..."

Bobby moved the envelope in his hands and finally ripped the end off. "Dear Bobby, I'm so sorry. I need to do this on my own...you need to forget about me..." Bobby stared at the letter not believing what he was reading.

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No more Games.

No more Players.

Freedom has finally been achieved.

But will they be able to enjoy it?


	96. Spiraling into Happiness and Despair

No more Games.

No more Players.

Freedom has finally been achieved.

But will they be able to enjoy it?

Jarod looked at the envelope in his hand, opened it, and read his. "Dear Jarod, If you are reading this, welcome to freedom my brother. I have given you and Parker the only gift that I am capable of giving. The liberty of living without being tracked day and night. I want my niece or nephew to know what it's like to be able to walk in the sun without fear of someone taking them. Without fear that someone will snatch them in the night."

Jarod took in a deep breath. Lily had partly done all this for him and for his children. Parker came and stood next to him and looked over his arm. "I have coordinated with the FBI to take control of the Centre and all it's assets at the onset of the raid. All properties held by the Centre and the Triumverate have been transferred to leadership by Jarod O'Connor and Melissa Parker. Use the resources wisely my brother. Use them for good."

Parker looked up at Jarod. "She transferred the Centre to us?" Parker was shaking her head. "I'm not sure I want it Jarod. I'm not sure I want the responsibility."

Jarod came and put his arms around Parker. "Do we have a choice? Or is it our destiny."

Shrugging Jarod off, Parker stepped away. "Destiny my ass Jarod. I'm a Parker. Maybe a Parker shouldn't be given the power the Centre offers. It corrupts us."

Pulling Parker into his embrace, Jarod whispered in Parker's ear. "You are not your father or even your grandfather. Your mother made sure of that." Jarod took Parker's hands in his and knelt down on one knee. "Melissa Parker. Please do me the honor of becoming my wife and never having to worry about being a Parker again." He waited a few minutes before proceeding seeing Parker's hesitation. "I have loved you from the first time I saw you. From the first innocent kiss we shared." Jarod rose. "I want to share the rest of my life with you. Make up for the years we lost with you chasing and me running."

Parker actually chuckled. "Somehow I think you enjoyed all the running. Driving me crazy." Parker looked into Jarod's chestnut brown eyes. "Helping me keep my sanity. Solve the mysteries." Parker pulled away gently from Jarod. "How can we ever get past our life Jarod? How do we go on with all we know?"

Jarod wrapped his arms around her again from behind. "Together. One step at a time, one day at a time." He placed his hand over Parker's stomach. "We have family now. We'll do it for them."

Parker slowly turned in his arms. "Do you think we can really do it? Make a difference?"

Jarod smiled. "Together, we can do anything."

Parker laid her head on Jarod's shoulder. "Yes."

Jarod looked confused. "Yes we can do it together?"

"No stupid. Yes I will marry you. And yes I love you." Parker poked Jarod in the chest. "But it will be Ms. Parker-O'Connor. Understood?"

Jarod wrapped her in his arms and laughed. "Fine. I can be as liberal as the next person. Can I call you Missy?"

"Don't push it Lab Rat. I may still go on a hormonal rampage and shoot everyone in sight."

"No you won't. I think you should take up knitting instead."

Parker looked flabbergasted. "Do I look like the type of person who makes baby booties?"

"I think you can do anything you want to do. Even baby booties."

Parker sniffed. She motioned her head toward the letter still in Jarod's hand. "What else does she say?"

"Changing the subject?" Jarod asked. He picked the letter back up and started reading it to Parker. "Together you need to help Bobby forget me. Teach him what you know brother. Teach him how to trust and love. Forgive him for what he has done and let him become the man he should have been allowed to be. He will need you and Parker. Help him to forget me."

"Does Lyle need anyone?" Parker asked.

"Lily thinks so." Jarod continued. "Don't try to follow me. Don't try to find me. It's better this way, for all of us. I love you. Lily"

Parker and Jarod looked at each other. "Are you going to go after her?" Parker questioned.

Jarod shook his head no. "She needs time. I just hope she will come back of her own accord." Jarod looked around. "Where did Lyle, I mean Bobby, go?"

Bobby shifted the envelope in his hands and finally ripped the end off. "Dear Bobby, I'm so sorry. I need to do this on my own and you need a chance at a wonderful life. You need to forget about me. Live like you have never met me. That the Centre hadn't touched you. Let Jarod and Parker help you rebuild."

Parker? Jarod? Help him. Was Lily crazed? He was still in shock that Jarod hadn't handed him over to the FBI. And forget the Center? Not likely. Forget her? Impossible. How was he suppose to forget the one light that had shone in his dark life? His salvation. Bobby looked back at the letter.

"Lyle and Lily are broken. We can't fix ourselves. How are we supposed to raise someone else? The babies will be better with a couple whom will love them. No baggage. No nightmares."

Bobby stared at the letter not believing what he was reading. How could she decide what was best for him. For his babies. Didn't she realize how much she meant to him, how much the babies meant. That he loved her. He had never felt love before and now that it had hit him it burned like a fire in his soul. He wanted to crumble the letter. Tear it into a million pieces, but he couldn't stop reading.

"Know that I love you, but that sometimes love is not enough. Please don't try to find me, you won't be able to even if you try. You will find someone in the future whom you will want to spend your life with. A person who is not a murderer, a trained assassin, a faulty circuit. Watch over Jarod. My nieces and nephews. Take care of yourself and Parker. Live a fantastic life. Love, Lily."

Raking his fingers through his hair, Bobby almost threw the letter down. Lily was not leaving him again. He was not going to lose his babies. If she thought he had tracked Jarod, Lily didn't know hunted. He was going to use every resource he had to find her. Every skill. And he wouldn't rest 'til he did.

Bobby looked up to see Jarod wrapping his arms around Parker. A pang of jealousy flooded him. Even with everything she had done, Jarod was still there. They were strong. Bobby started to slip into the shadows. He had a lot to do.

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Lily nodded. "Thank you Agent Vaise. Protect her with your life." The agent nodded again as she led the child away.

Lily turned back into the room and went to sit on the small bed. Lily lowered her head into her hands and started to cry. Cry for the little girl who had been trapped here. Cried for all those who had proceeded her. The memories came flooding in and Lily let them come.

"It's all right Sweetheart. Just let it all out." Came a voice from the doorway.

Lily looked up and gasped. "Mark." She whispered. "What are you doing here?"

Mark moved into the room. "Being here for you. All of this must hurt immensely. Seeing your mother after all these years."

Fury burned like a nova inside Lily. "She is not my mother. And again I am going to ask. What are you doing here?"

Mark looked sheepishly around the room. "I can't see how anyone would expect a child to live like this. It's no wonder that your aggression level is so high. Transferring that anger to me is a normal reaction to the stimuli..."

Lily cut him off. "Shut up with the techno babble." Lily rose. "Take your psychiatric crap and shove it where the sun doesn't shine." Lily tried to push pass Mark, but the man stood his ground.

Mark's hand grazed the mound that sat just below her beautiful breasts. Realization set in. "You're really pregnant. With his baby."

For the first time Lily noticed that Mark did not have that analytical vibe around him. He was edgy and nervous.

"I tried to get to Raines. Tell him I knew. But you got to him first." Fury erupted from him. "I wanted to make him pay for what he did to you. To us." Mark tried to regain control. "It's all right. We can take care of the situation and then we can..."

"Stop it!" Lily screamed. She felt as if she had been hit in the gut. "What is this _we_? _We_ is over. _We_ is non-existent." Lily paced away from Mark swinging her arms in frustration. "And what gives you the right to think you have any control over my body? Over my babies. They are not a situation. They are a miracle."

Lily could have sworn she saw flames fly from Mark's eyes. "So." He said curtly. "You're going to keep the little bastards."

Lily's mouth nearly hit the ground. "You're the son of a bitch." Lily stormed over to Mark and started poking him in the chest. "They didn't ask to be conceived. But since they were they will be smart, intelligent, loving individuals. They will never be tortured, drugged, locked in rooms, or kept from the world. I can't believe you have the nerve to suggest that I terminate this pregnancy. The person who drugged me, tried to brainwash me, lied to me. You are trying to tell me what to do?" Lily pushed Mark out of the room's door. "I think you better leave this place and never see my babies or me again. Because if you ever come near them, I will kill you." Lily walked past Mark, but turned before she reached the steps. "You know exactly what I am capable of. So don't think that it is an idle threat." With that said Lily left the Davidson house and left two parts of her past behind.

Joan walked into Charles and Margaret's room. She had promised to tell them the minute every thing was over. Margaret was seated in the chair and Charles was pacing the room as Joan entered.

"Well?" Margaret asked with trepidation clearly shown on her face.

"It's over." Joan started. "Jarod and Lily were unharmed. Jarod made it in time to stop Lily from killing Raines."

Charles swung his head in disgust. "I'm not sure that was such a good thing."

"Charles!" Margaret gasped. "I will not have any more bloodshed on my daughter's hands. It is over now. They will come back and we will start to rebuild our family."

Joan lowered her head. She didn't know how to tell Margaret the news. Margaret picked up on Joan's tension. "What is the matter? What are you not telling me?"

Raising her head slowly, Joan looked into Margaret's eyes. "They're not coming back."

Charles swung around. "Who's not coming back?"

Joan sat across from Margaret and took her hands. "Lily arranged for Jarod and Melissa to take control of the Centre. They will be staying there and coordinating the takeover of the annex facilities."

Coming to stand behind his wife, Charles put his hand on Margaret's shoulder. Margaret raised her hand and lovingly placed her hand on top of her husband's. "And Lily?" Charles asked.

The words stuck in Joan's throat. She didn't want to tell them. "Lily's left Blue Cove."

"Left." Margaret stated knowing somehow that wasn't a good thing. "She is coming back to Angel's Hope." She didn't make this a question. She wanted the statement to become reality, though she knew deep inside that she wasn't going to get her wish.

"No. I'm sorry Margaret. Lily has decided to... decided to..." Joan got up and tried to stop the tears that wanted to flow.

"My baby's not coming home is she?" Margaret looked down at her hands. "My baby is out there on her own." Margaret stood abruptly. "And I'm going to find her."

Becky stepped off the plane and walked down the staircase. Two Angel Hope Retrieval Team members waited for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Dr. Stedman said that we were to accompany you." The agent informed.

"Very well. But whatever you do, do not approach her. She is in a very fragile state right now. You are not to approach her. You are not to let her know we are there. Stealth is the key gentlemen. We are here to observe and observe only." Becky started walking away from the plane into the terminal.

The men fell in line behind her sweeping the area while they walked. "May I ask one thing Miss Becky?"

"What?' Becky asked without turning around. She pulled open the door to the terminal.

"How do you know Miss Lily will be here?" The man asked as he took the door from Becky to hold it open.

Becky looked up at the man. "Believe me. I just know." Sorrow filled Becky's soul.

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Broken apart.

Pieces scattered.

While the four winds blow.

Will the Pretender's love matter?


	97. Echoes of the Past

Broken apart.

Pieces scattered.

While the four winds blow.

Will the Pretender's love matter?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Becky stepped off the plane and walked down the staircase. Two Angel Hope Retrieval Team members waited for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Dr. Stedman said that we were to accompany you." The agent informed.

"Very well. But whatever you do, do not approach her. She is in a very fragile state right now. You are not to approach her. You are not to let her know we are there. Stealth is the key gentlemen. We are here to observe and observe only." Becky started walking away from the plane into the terminal.

The men fell in line behind her sweeping the area while they walked. "May I ask one thing Miss Becky?"

"What?' Becky asked without turning around. She pulled open the door to the terminal.

"How do you know Miss Lily will be here?" The man asked as he took the door from Becky to hold it open.

Becky looked up at the man. "Believe me. I just know." Sorrow filled Becky's soul. The group continued through the terminal and exited on the east side. A black limousine was waiting for them at the door exit.

The Retriever looked at the car. "This is being inconspicuous? Low profile?"

Becky's face lit up with a small smile. "She isn't here yet." The agent went and opened the car door. "It's been a tough couple of months, I haven't been away from home in forever, and I think for once I can pamper myself." Though his face was as stoic as if it were made out of granite, Becky could feel the man's annoyance. "Oh." She huffed. "Just get in the car."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jarod shook his head no. "She needs time. I just hope she will come back of her own accord." Jarod looked around. "Where did Lyle, I mean Bobby, go?"

Parker scanned the immediate area and then studied the shadows. Her brother was good at hiding in the shadows. "He's gone."

Jarod spun around and examined the area himself. "Damn! Two of them gone now. Lily told us to take care of him. How are we supposed to watch over him if we don't know where he is?"

Parker laid her hand on Jarod's chest. "He's gone after her. We won't find him until he finds Lily."

Jarod threw his hands up in the air. "I have never felt so out of control my whole life. I have a wayward pregnant sister running to who knows where." Jarod wrapped Parker in his arms. "I have a future brother-in-law who is hunting my pregnant sister. I have a fiancée who is beautiful, I am hopelessly in love with and who is also pregnant with my beloved babies. And to top everything off, I was just handed control of the most evil organization on the face of this Earth. Can I wake up now?"

"You're not in Kansas or wherever else you've been anymore Jarod. We have to work this out and we have to do it coming out of the gate running. The Centre is vulnerable now. We have to put together a security team. The Sweepers were all arrested. We have to be ready for retaliation. I don't trust Raines." Parker laid her head against Jarod's chest. "I never wanted total control of the Centre."

Jarod smiled. "Yes you did." Parker jabbed him in the stomach. "All right. Did you happen to see the mass of soldiers that attacked the Centre? Maybe Joan can loan some of the Retrievers from Angel's Hope until we can interview and hire secure personnel. I'm sure that Sam can help with the interviews." Jarod smiled again over Parker's head waiting for her reaction, which came two seconds later.

"You want to keep that Jezebel?" Parker spouted as she pushed off Jarod's chest. "That two timing jackal?"

Jarod was openingly laughing. "Is there something I should know about you two?"

Parker hit him in the arm. "I'm not joking Jarod. I trusted him and he betrayed me."

Jarod shook his head. "He didn't betray you Parker. He was watching your back. He always did. And I'm grateful to the man." He took Parker's face between his fingers gently. "That he could protect you when I couldn't." Jarod looked into Parker's eyes. "I want him there always to watch your back."

Leaning backwards Parker wrapped her arms around Jarod's neck, giving a slight brush down his spine. "I rather have you watching my back, but maybe the pregnancy has altered your view?" She looked over her shoulder to survey her derrière. Jarod followed her gaze.

"No. I like that view just fine." He kissed her thoroughly, and then pulled away. "Let's get out of here."

Parker turned around fully and looked at him with a glisten of mischievous in his eyes. "What are you up to Mr. O'Connor?" But Parker knew fully well what Jarod wanted. Could feel it through her clothing. His desire.

"I think we should check out our new offices….extensively." Jarod started leading her back to the Centre. "And then we will finish saving the world."

Parker started to follow, lovingly holding Jarod's hand in her own. "But I would settle for saving two lost souls before the world."

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Charles pulled his wife around. "What do you mean you are going to find her?"

"I am not without my own gifts Charles. You know that. We are mother and daughter. We are linked. I am going to find that link and then I am going to go get my daughter. I failed Jarod, Lily, and Kyle. I will not fail Lily a second time." Sobs started to wrack her body. She whispered. "I will not lose another child."

Charles wrapped his wife in his arms. "We won't lose her Honey. I swear. She's just hurt and confused right now. You know what women with hormones are like."

Margaret whacked her husband. "If I wasn't so upset, I would sock you. Lily is not acting like this because of hormones. She's in turmoil. The father of her children killed her brother. The man she loves, but is too pig headed like her father to admit."

Charles lovingly rubbed his head on top of Margaret's. "I know. I just couldn't stand hearing the sorrow in your sobs. I wish I could take away all the pain."

"But you can't." Joan interceded. "And the only way either of you are going to be able to help your children, is to come to terms with your own pain. Guilt. Sorrow." Joan looked into Margaret's sad eyes. "You have to let it go. It wasn't your fault a madman manipulated and then stole your babies. All you ever wanted were children to love." She looked up at Charles. "A family to care for."

"My brain says you're right." Margaret started. "But my heart says my children are in pain and I don't know how to help them."

"Come to my office. Let's have some tea and talk. I think we have thirty years of therapy to catch up on." Joan led the way out of the office.

Charles put his arms around Margaret's shoulders and followed Joan's lead. They were going to need all the ammunition they could muster. And maybe that started with healing themselves first.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Weeks went by. Evading, hiding, pretending. Lily had spotted Bobby the first week of her exile. Saw the determination on his face. Jarod had failed her. He had not kept Bobby safe; away from her. Did they not both realize that she was poison to all she touched? This came into perfect clarity as she knelt in the grass before the headstone that read a stranger's name.

Stranger because Jarod had the name put there to protect their brother's body. Stranger because Lily had never gotten the chance to know him. Her baby brother. Kin to her kin, yet unknown to her all the same.

She had broken into the Centre's files, retrieved all the information she could find on Kyle. Raines had finished with him what he had started with her. The perfect killing machine. "I decide who lives or dies." She whispered. Tears flowed down her face for a man she never knew, a boy she knew through her own experiences all to well. All the torture, the pain, the humiliation. And she had not been there to save him.

Lily slammed her fist into the ground as she thought how she had grown up at Angel's Hope safe and sound. While all the time her brothers had been tortured and hurt. Kyle had been broken. "I'm so sorry little brother. I should have been there to protect you. I should have come back sooner to save you." Lily's drooped shoulders brought her over her rounded belly until she almost fell.

Someone's hands caught her and kept her from tumbling.

Lily sprang to her feet the fastest she could and spun. A woman in a sheriff's uniform was in front of her. "Who are you?" She asked suspiciously.

The woman eyed her just as suspiciously. "I think the better question is who are you? And why are you at this particular site?"

Lily looked down at the grave. "He's my brother."

The woman peered at Lily. "That man has no family. I helped bury him myself."

"And I thank you Deputy Miller." Lily said as she remembered reading about the woman whose child had gotten her brother's heart. "How is JR?"

"You know Jarod?" The deputy asked as she unsnapped her gun.

"I'm his sister." Lily confided, knowing the woman would hold her secret. "We just found each other."

"I'm glad. When he lost his brother, he looked like he had lost his whole world." Miller noticed Lily's condition. "Would you like to go somewhere and sit down? You look almost three quarters of the way till you pop."

"Thank you Deputy Miller, but I'm fine. I'm waiting for the company to bring my brother headstone." Lily looked back down at the mismarked grave.

"Mrs.???? " The deputy wanted to address her son's savior's sister properly.

"Miss." Lily rubbed her belly gently. "But you can call me Lily."

"Lily. Jarod had your brother's grave marked this way for a reason. He was afraid that that lunatic would come looking for Kyle's body. You can't change the headstone."

"That lunatic is now spending his time looking for me, not Kyle's grave." Lily huffed. "It's a long story. But he's not so crazy anymore. He redeemed himself."

"He buried a pregnant woman in the desert. I don't think that kind of man can be redeemed." The deputy countered.

A truck started to pull up the cemetery driveway. Lily signaled for them to come toward them. "Under some circumstances, a person will do anything. Mr. Lyle is gone anyway. Killed by the Centre. And his boss Raines is behind bars. Now it is time for my brother to rest. Jarod and his family will be coming here tomorrow to have a proper ceremony. I want him to have the correct marker."

"Wouldn't Jarod's family be yours as well?" The deputy asked, but then was interrupted by a beep on her cell phone. She retrieved the device from her belt and clicked the walkie talkie part. "What is it JR?"

Lily relished hearing the voice of the boy who Kyle had saved. Heard how his mother lovingly told him he couldn't have a piece of cake before dinner. When she was done with the call, she turned back to Lily. "Sorry about that. Teenage boys."

"Cherish these years with him." Lily started backing away as the men started removing the old stone. "Take care of him. He carries precious cargo."

The deputy realized that Lily was leaving. "Where are you going?"

"I've done what I could. Have said my goodbyes. I'll let him rest in peace now." Lily turned and started to walk away.

"Wouldn't you like to stay with me till your family gets here?" Miller realized that something was terribly wrong with the woman and that she was in immense pain.

Lily turned around. "It's best if I go."

The next day, the O'Connor family stood around Kyle's grave. Tears in their eyes, pain in their heart and souls. Jarod had learned from Deputy Miller that Lily had changed Kyle's headstone. He periodically scanned the area, but knew he would never find Lily. She was too much a ghost.

From a distance, Lily used a high powered lens to see the grave and ceremony. Her tears flowing freely. Just at the end of the ceremony, she saw a person who she never expected to show up this day. Bobby came and stood behind his sister. Lily put away the telescope and waddled to the car. It was time for her to go.

Time for her to flee again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

One soul died and freed.

Four other souls shattered.

Pain is their constant companion.

Grief their bitter friend.


	98. Horizons

One soul died and freed.

Four other souls shattered.

Pain is their constant companion.

Grief their bitter friend.

Lily turned around. "It's best if I go."

The next day, the O'Connor family stood around Kyle's grave. Tears in their eyes, pain in their heart and souls. Jarod had learned from Deputy Miller that Lily had changed Kyle's headstone. He periodically scanned the area, but knew he would never find Lily. She was too much a ghost these days. But he felt her in his heart. She was there.

From a distance, Lily used a high powered lens and microphone to see the grave and hear the ceremony. Her tears were flowing freely. Falling down her face like rapid rivers. She whispered, "Godspeed little brother. Rest in peace. We stopped them." Lily closed her eyes and a picture of Kyle standing with Catherine Parker filled the blackness behind her lids. Lily continued her prayer. "May your soul find paradise at the end of your journey."

Lily opened her eyes as she heard the closing remarks ending the ceremony. Through the binoculars, Lily saw the one person who she never expected to show up this day. Bobby came and stood behind his sister. He looked like hell. He put his hand on Jarod's shoulder. Lily waited for the others to protest, but they all stood there. Some holding hands, Jarod holding Parker. Parker holding him as if she were his lifeline.

Lily put away the telescope. "They won't hurt anyone ever again little brother. I swear this upon your grave. May you find the peace I never will." Lily turned and waddled to the car. It was time for her to go.

Vigorously rubbing the remnants of her weakness, her tears, from her face, she got into her BMW. Time for her to flee again. "Time to fade into the shadows", she thought or whispered as she started the car. A tradition that had became a way of life as the weeks had gone on.

Lily thought after Kyle's funeral that her family would leave her alone. That Bobby would leave her alone. It had been wishful thinking. She should have known that they would be as determined to find her, as she was to not be found. Several close calls where Bobby and Becky had almost caught up with her reminded her that she would have to find a permanent place to hide soon. She was getting too big to properly hide herself and the babies.

The hospital scans had showed the babies growing at a normal rate for multiples. Snuggled together, sucking their thumbs, kicking her in the kidneys, bouncing on her bladder. How women survived childbearing all these years she had no clue? She thought of Parker - pulling out her 9mm every time someone talked to her. Lily would have preferred going up against a platoon of men rather than face the fact that soon she was not going to be able to defend herself or the babies without being holed up with an arsenal some where.

The last close call had been at the hospital where she had been using an ultrasound machine to check on the babies. She was getting as big as a house and wasn't sure why Bobby would want her anyway. A hippo had less girth than she did. And when she thought of him, of them ever being together, all she could think of was the word damaged. Sadness choked her heart, what was left of it.

Today she was walking up the steps of a house of a man that had given his life for hers. She had two more acts to do and then she would be ready for the babies to be born. And once the babies were placed in loving homes, she would literally melt into society and disappear.

It hurt to think about separating the babies. She thought about Jarod and how life may have been different if Catherine Parker could have gotten him to Angel's Hope. How they could have grown up together, faced the reality of their lives together. Yes, she had Becky. They were as close as any two siblings could be, but it would have been nice to have someone to learn combat with and train with. Becky had never gravitated toward the physical training. Maybe together, they would have stopped Raines before he had hurt so many people.

Or Joan would have found Charles and Margaret O'Connor sooner. They would have had their family. Lily didn't want to think about that. The past hurt enough without the infinite "what ifs".

Lily stood in front of the two story brick home that housed the family of her first victim. It didn't have the newest coat of paint or fancy ornaments in the yard, but she could see it was a home filled with love.

That's how she had begun to look at the people who had died at her hands. Died because of what ideas she had conceived. Had she only known the outcome. If she had fought Raines harder, had made it more difficult, hadn't done the sims.

Who was she fooling? She had made it difficult. It hadn't mattered. In the end she had conceived monstrous things and other people had paid the consequences.

Looking at the building in the twilight light made the house look eerie and foreboding. Maybe the spirit of the poor man she had killed was here protecting his family from his murderer. A man who only wanted to provide for his family….and protect her. In the end she had repaid him by shooting him in the heart on a swinging door in a sim lab.

Lily wanted to scream in rage, scream in frustration, scream for all the years his family had lost with him. Maybe it was divine justification that she was going to have to give up her own children. Retribution for taking this family's father from them.

Lily shook her head and tried to clear the emotions from her mind. Do the job. Isn't that what she had been taught? She looked at the envelope she pulled from her pocket. It contained enough of the Center's money to keep the family comfortable for life. And still it didn't seem enough.

Lily started up the steps so that she could place the envelope in under the front door. The family had left for dinner, so Lily didn't worry that someone would find her. The family would come home and find the envelope. There would be some speculation and investigation. Lily had sent word to Parker she had taken Raines' money and what she was doing with it. Parker hadn't objected.

"Is there something I can help you with child?" A voice came from behind Lily.

Lily spun to see an elderly woman standing behind her. Her children were gathered around her. She had to think fast. "I'm sorry Ma'am. I didn't think anything was wrong. I was just leaving this envelope for you."

The woman studied Lily's face. "Why do you need to leave me an envelope? So we know each other?"

"No Ma'am. We've never met." Unfortunately I met your husband and killed him, but let's not play with semantics. "I work for…" Lily almost choked on the words. "the Centre."

The woman's face contorted into disgust. "Then I think you need to be leaving my home. Anyone from your place of business is not welcome here."

A knot turned in Lily's stomach. She had to agree with the woman. Lily had no place being at her house. "We discovered a discrepancy from when your husband died." Lily just couldn't keep going with the lie. She was too tired. She shoved the envelope into the woman's hand. "Just take it please. I'm so sorry." Lily pushed past the woman and family frantic to get away.

The woman opened the envelope and gasped. "Miss….Miss….wait! I think there has been a mistake."

Lily stopped abruptly, but didn't turn around. "No mistake Ma'am. It's all yours. You deserve it."

The woman came to stand behind Lily as of she sensed Lily's pain. "God bless you child."

Lily turned to look at the wrinkled woman's face. "Your husband was a good man." Lily turned back and started off.

"Yes he was." The woman screamed to Lily's quickly fading back. "So are you."

Lily stopped on a dime and spun with anguish all over her face. "Good I am not. Take care." Before the woman could say another word, Lily got in the car and sped away. If Kyle's funeral had torn out her heart, then this was going to chop it up into little pieces. But where she was going next week would kill her soul.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I do my job.

I do it well.

I do my job.

So I'm going to Hell.


	99. A Tower of Truth

Chapter 99: A Tower of Truth

I do my job.

I do it well.

I do my job.

So I'm going to Hell.

************************************

The woman opened the envelope and gasped. "Miss….Miss….wait! I think there has been a mistake."

Lily stopped abruptly, but didn't turn around. "No mistake Ma'am. It's all yours. You deserve it."

The woman came to stand behind Lily, as if she sensed Lily's pain. "God bless you child."

Lily turned to look at the wrinkled woman's face. "Your husband was a good man." Lily turned back and started off. Turmoil rolling in her stomach like a tidal wave as she walked faster away. There was so much to say and no way to say it. Good man just didn't seem to do him justice.

"Yes, he was." The woman screamed to Lily's quickly fading back. She looked at the envelope with the Centre logo embossed in the corner. The terror of all those years ago came back, as well as the memory of a story her husband had told her. So many tortured children, a little lost girl living with so much pain. "So are you." The woman called out.

Lily stopped on a dime and spun with anguish all over her face. "Good! I am not. Monster is my name." The echoes of screams from the past haunted her. _"I don't want to fire the gun. I don't want to kill anyone! I thought I decided who lives or dies?" _ She heard her own tormented scream, _"Noooooo."_ The eerie scream rebounding within the confines of her mind.

Lily looked at the pity on the woman's face and became sicker. Somehow this woman knew part of her sin and was concerned for her, when she should really be loathing Lily. Lily ran her hand over her extended belly. "Take care of your family. There is evil in the dark places of this world."

Before the woman could say another word, Lily got in the car and sped away. If Kyle's funeral had torn out her heart, then this was going to chop it up into little pieces. But where she was going next week would kill her soul.

Driving like a mad woman, Lily wasn't sure if she was driving from or to Hell. The woman had called her a good person. A tear slipped down her cheek. Lily angrily pushed it away. "Soldiers don't cry." She admonished herself. "Assassins show no remorse." She repeated the mantra that Raines had taught her.

She whispered to herself and the babies. "Why then do I feel like crawling into a ball and dying?" Lily laughed. "You did this to me ladies and gentleman." She said to her stomach. "You have turned me into a crying and mushy woman." She would not say the word mother. She would never be their mother. They would have good parents who loved them and could take care of them. Not a mother who killed people and rained terror on people.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jarod paced back and forth in front of Parker. Parker reclined on the bed in their hotel room, a bowl of cherries next to her. She had found that it was easier to give in to the cravings, than fight them. Today's special – cherries. I guess it was better than the sour pickles the day before.

Jarod stopped in front of her again, like he had fifty times already. He looked at Parker just as she was about to speak. Jarod put his finger up to silence her. The look on her face said that if she could get up and reach her 9mm, he would be missing some body parts.

Parker growled as she pushed herself up, "And don't you even think of saying that life is a bowl of cherries." She waddled to the end of the bed. She really missed her svelte figure. "Wearing a hole in the carpet is not going to bring her back Jarod."

"I know that." He let out an exasperated breath. "I just don't like not being able to do anything. Time and time again we think we've found her and then she disappears like a ghost again."

"Like an angel." Parker chuckled.

Jarod threw his hands up in the air. "How can a woman who is as big as a house, move with the swiftness of the wind?" Jarod turned and looked at Parker to realize that he had made a big mistake.

Parker stood with her hands on her hips. "Are you saying that an expectant woman is a clumsy oaf? That she can't move gracefully or have honed escape skills?" The expression on Parker's face was pure fury.

"Melissa….." Jarod pleaded.

"Don't you Melissa me!" Parker screamed. "You are in deep shit now. Do you think I can't blow an enemy away in this condition?"

"Of course you can honey…" Jarod backed up as Parker moved forward, her stomach almost smacking into him. "Don't you think you should calm down for the babies…"

"Now I'm not a good mother? What next? Old Agents Home for the recently ballooned? Kiss my ass Jarod! I can out maneuver and out gun you with my hands tied behind my back." Parker waddled closer.

Jarod looked at his watch. "Look at the time. We need to meet my family for dinner." Jarod picked up his jacket. "We're going to be late." Jarod opened the door and waited for Parker to go through.

As she did, a slow smile lit her face. She always did know how to run covert ops. Now if she could only keep Jarod occupied a little while longer. So Lily could make her peace.

*******************************************

Two weeks of dodging Bobby were starting to wear her nerves thin. The cool wind blew through her hair as she walked the busy streets of New York City. Heading for the last act she would do before the babies were born.

The old simulation was running through her brain over and over. The planes…..the Twin Towers….the people. The screaming, burning, and obliterated people. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons. That's who they were. That's who she had murdered. Her simulation had caused these crimes.

Lily looked around the streets, monitoring the faces and marking escape routes. She was heading for Ground Zero. Where the towers had fallen. Where the ghosts of her victims would wail at her and ask her why. Where she would say goodbye to the babies.

When they were born, she would not see them. She had already chosen good families for them. And she would protect them till the day she died. But she would not ever meet them. That would be her final punishment. The tearing away of all she loved – her son, her daughters, her brothers, her sisters, her mother, and her father. Retribution, however nonequivalent, would be her offering.

Wire fencing circled the area that contained Ground Zero. Lily had already made an inconspicuous cut in the fence, allowing her access to the big gaping hole in the ground and the skeletons of melted framing. In the dark, the melted metal looked like the metal was draped in a black mass of moss.

Lily looked around making sure no one saw a large pregnant woman squeezing herself through the gate and could possibly alert the police. She wanted no witnesses to this offering. It was between her and those she had killed. Lily crept along the edge of darkness just out of sight, but paralleled her walk to the fence.

As she turned to go down into the crater, a voice shot out of the darkness.

"I wish you wouldn't do that. You could fall and hurt the babies."

Lily cringed and slowly turned toward the fence. "Took you long enough this time."

Bobby moved to the fence, grabbing the wire tightly with his fingers. He was trying greatly to keep his temper in check. If he let it flare, she would be gone in a heartbeat. And this was the closest he had gotten since she had disappeared. "Well you know I had to stop and smell the roses first."

Lily tried not to smirk. "So, you've taken up gardening these days." She started moving away.

"Wait!" Bobby yelled or was it begged. "Please don't go."

"Give it up Bobby." Lily started picking up the pace with Bobby keeping up with her on the opposite side of the fence. "We're through. Actually we never were, so we can't even be through. Go back where you belong."

Bobby stopped short and grabbed the fence rattling it as he did. "Where am I supposed to go Lily?" Lily stopped short. "Where?" Tears threatened to form, tears finally rolling down her face . "I have nowhere to go!"

Lily turned around. "You can help Parker and Jarod with the Centre. No one knows that place better than you. You can help them uncover the secrets and help the people the Centre tried to destroy."

"I am one of the secrets that the Centre destroyed." Bobby knew this would be his only chance to plead his case. "Without you….without the babies…I'm nothing. I want the package Lily. I want the white picket fence and the first steps and the birthday parties…"

Lily winced and closed her eyes to the ideas she would not let herself have. "These babies deserve better than us Bobby. We don't know the first thing about babies, white picket fences, or ribbons and bows. All we know about are the things that go bump in the night. Because we are the things that go bump in the night."

Bobby reached his arm through a hole in the fence. "Then we'll learn. Together. It's not like we will be alone. Parker will be right behind us, she knows more about a 9mm, than she does diapers. We'll keep the nightmares away and protect the babies."

Tears rolled slowly down Lily's cheek. "We are the nightmare Bobby. We're too broken for the happily ever after fairy tale ending. Leave that to the romance novels and princess tales. We're the monsters in the closet that small children are afraid of. The murderers of innocent people." Lily approached the fence and placed her fingers over Bobby's. "It's too late for us."

"I won't believe that Lily. Mr. Lyle was the monster, not Bobby. I know that now. I've been working with Sydney," Lily gave him a surprised look, "and Joan via conferencing. They both want you to come home. Whether that is the Centre or Angel's Hope. Everyone wants you to come back." Bobby looked behind him and a figure moved in the darkness.

Lily tried to make out who the shape was and then terror gripped her. "You didn't. You wouldn't.." Lily's eyes grew into large circles as Margaret moved into the light from a nearby street lamp.

"Sweetie." Margaret began as Lily turned to run. "Please don't go. We've..I've been looking all over for you. You are a very hard woman to track down." Margaret drew in a quick breath. "And please don't blame Bobby. I made him bring me and I ruined his beautiful apology."

"Please go back to the safety of Angel's Hope. Raines' people may still be out there. You're in danger out in the open." Lily begged.

"I'll go back with if you do. Please come home with the man who loves you, to your father, to your brothers and sisters, and to your mother." Margaret gave her a tentative smile.

Lily froze in place for a moment and then retrieved a box out of the bag she was carrying. Her mother had reminded her of why she was here in the first place. The box had two cables with clips at the end. A small battery. "Back away from the fence Margaret."

Margaret's face looked hurt. "You could call me Mom or Mother."

Lily snapped the clips onto the fence just as Bobby was going to grab it to climb over. He knew she was about to run. "There are enough volts in this to knock you on your ass Bobby." Lily looked to the person who had given up everything because of her birth.

"In another time and place, I may have been able to call you Mother. But the here and now says I don't have that right." Lily started backing away with Bobby following the line of the fence. It was getting hard to see Lily, since people had hung memorials in this area. "Goodbye Bobby."

Lily had mapped an escape route though this area. She would skirt around the interior parameter and get to the hole in the fence before Bobby could reach it using the exterior. Her last look was him running the fence, trying to keep her in his sight and yelling her name.

**************************************

Lily was tired. To the bone tired. Tired of her life, tired of running, and tired of trying to explain to people why she was wrong for just about everything. She knew that the theater would be a good cover. Bobby would never think that she would hide here. But the musical had called to her and she couldn't resist. She snuck up to the box where she could stay hidden. The opening number played out in front of her.

Glenda stood on stage and asked the age old question of _Wicked_, "Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?"

"Golden words I would say." Came the voice from behind Lily as Lily turned with a gun in her hand.

Wicked.

Damned.

Persecuted.

Redeemed.


End file.
